


The Machinations of the Force

by Cypher9



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Justice League - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mostly a Star Wars and DC Comics Crossover, Nightmares, Plot, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, The Force, Torture, War, With a little bit of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2020-10-26 01:18:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 127,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20733863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cypher9/pseuds/Cypher9
Summary: After a devastating invasion from a hostile force into the Star Wars Galaxy, the Galaxy's different factions joined together to force out the invaders, taking heavy losses in the process. Despite the victory, the Galaxy's denizens lived in fear for their lives as weapons of mass destruction began to rain down from outside their galaxy, blowing up planet after planet.Trapped on the Jedi home world of Tython, a young and powerful Jedi by the name of Revan, fed up with feeling all of the beings' deaths through the force and being powerless to do anything about it, awaits his chance to join the war effort.As he heads into the darkness of the unknown, he must try to keep himself from falling to the dark side and keep those that he cares about alive. When he thinks it's finally all over, it is merely the beginning of an even greater journey.





	1. The Calling

**Revan**

The sun was beaming down over the peaceful Jedi homeworld of Tython. The isolated core world was serene in the morning light, adding to its tranquil beauty of lush trees and flowing crystal blue rivers. The Jedi temple was slowly coming to life as all of its inhabitants started to go about their day. In one of the poorly kept dormitories, Jedi Knight Revan was studying an ancient sith holocron. He was a controversial but popular figure within the Jedi Order as he was renowned for coming into conflict with the Jedi Masters, especially their stance on the war. Some of the Masters of the order saw him as a trouble maker for his interventionist approach while the others saw him as a voice for the younger Jedi. Most of the Jedi themselves, however, respected and some even supported his views on entering the conflict.

Having been given the holocron in secret by his second Master, Keria, when he was ten, Revan had studied it for seven years. He had learnt a lot from it; he could summon force lightning and influence other people’s choices to the point of forcing their will. Although he had had little chance to hone these skills, as they were heretical to the Jedi. At the moment, Revan was analysing life forces and the manipulation of them. He glanced through the holocron and saw the description of the force ability ‘thought bomb’.  
Suddenly, he felt it.

It was always there, the pull into the darkness from the Sith holocron. It wanted Revan to embrace the dark side fully, to lose himself in its power. Revan immediately shut the holocron off and began meditating, using the first lesson he had ever learnt - how to balance one’s self. His first master had taught him this. Her name had been Master Arri Suret. She had said that “Balance is when all things are allowed to live and thrive. The same is within the force.”

Revan quickly shut that memory away, the pain of her death still raw inside him seven years later. Her death had left an unhealable scar upon his soul. She had looked after him like he imagined his mum would have. He had never known his family, all he knew was that the Jedi had found him on an Imperial world and took him to be trained in the ways of the force. He had retained a subtle Imperial accent as a reminder of this past. Master Arri Suret had taken him in when he arrived and taught him so much, not just of the force, but of life. Revan started to feel anger flood his veins. His nails dug painfully into the palms of his hands as he clenched them tightly.

Those that had taken her away from him would pay, they would pay for all the innocents they had killed and all the worlds they had destroyed. For the last year, every month another planet was destroyed by them. The force it ripped from him left him feeling empty, like a void had opened up in his chest. He knew everyone felt it, the void, but for some reason his reaction was always worse. He knew he had to learn everything he could to win his coming war. He knew he had to stop them. Defeat meant annihilation. The time would soon be coming when the Jedi High Council could no longer ignore the war, Revan could feel it. He and his friends had their sympathisers, with every planet destroyed more flocked to his banner. The time wasn't coming soon enough though.

Revan suddenly sensed approaching force signatures coming up the corridor. He quickly grabbed the holocron and hid it behind a stone panel in the wall by his bed. A sigh of relief passed through his lips as he recognised the presences as they drew nearer; it was that of his friends Meetra Surik, Caleamar and Alek. Immediately, Revan sat on the floor and began to meditate, just before Alek walked in. Alek was Revan’s oldest friend. They had become brothers after Alek had stood up to a few Jedi who were making fun of Revan when he had first joined. Alek was the definition of a warrior; his imposing height and strong build making others look small around him. His extremely pale skin gave him a haunting appearance. He wore dark blue Jedi knights’ robes, without a hood, as Alek argued it got in his way. Revan just thought his bald head was too big to fit into it.

“Wow, you meditating Revan? You trying to become like most of those senile Jedi masters?” Alek mocked.

“I was seeing if it is what they crack it up to be”.

“And?”.

“It suits the masters just fine, doing nothing while pondering pointless questions,” Revan said dismissively as he stood up. Alek laughed. It was no big secret that Alek hated the Jedi High Council.

Just then Meetra and Caleamar entered. Meetra was the same age as Revan; the two had become friends quickly after their first master (Arri Suret) had introduced them to each other. Ever since they had been brother and sister to each other, much to the chagrin of the Jedi Masters due to their adventures. She had short brown hair, clear blue eyes and pale skin. She was a little shorter than Revan, though not by much. She was the level headed one of the group and always the one who pushed the others on.

Next to her was Caleamar, the rising star of the Jedi. He stood at six foot and was only smaller than Alek. Short midnight black hair and startling emerald green eyes, he was the secret crush of many a Jedi. Good natured, powerful and most importantly obedient, he was what the Jedi High Council wanted every Jedi to be. It was still surprising to Revan that he had joined their little group. Though there was conflict within Caleamar; he had always wanted to help those who could not help themselves. This conflicted with the Jedi High Council policy of isolation, something Caleamar strongly disagreed with. Caleamar was the oldest of the group. He wore white Jedi knight robes and most uniquely he used two blue lightsabers. Caleamar was also teaching Revan how to wield two lightsabers, which Revan, not to many people's surprise, was learning quickly.

Both of them greeted Revan, though they both look distracted and Caleamar also looked tired. “It's time for sparring practise, Revan,” Alek enthusiastically stated like a novice padawan.

Revan smiled at the eager anticipation of his friend. “Well let’s go then,” he said.

As they left the room, Alek went to badger Caleamar for a duel, while Meetra fell into step with Revan. “Revan, what was going on in that room?” she questioned. “The emotions and the force energy coming from the room were very… dark.”

“It’s fine, just got caught up in the past, that’s all,” Revan said solemnly.

Meetra nodded in understanding. She understood more than most the losses Revan had suffered. “Caleamar was questioning me about it. He is concerned. You know how he is with the ‘principles’ of the Jedi,” Meetra added.

“I will talk to him later,” Revan assured her. They walked in companionable silence for a while through the temple grounds, tall trees rising all around the path basking in the sunlight. Jedi all around them were studying, learning or relaxing in the pleasant weather. There were some who glanced at Revan as he passed; most nodded in respect and the rest kept their distance. He found it strange that one as young as himself could have the respect of those older than him. As they approached the sparring grounds, they saw it was quiet. That would not last long, as when the four of them sparred, they always attracted a crowd. There was not a lot of entertainment in a Jedi’s life, so any chance for a bit of excitement always drew a lot of attention.

As they stepped into the arena, Alek and Caleamar took up opposing positions. Alek drew his green lightsaber and took up an aggressive stance while Caleamar drew both of his blue lightsabers.

“Who are your credits on?” asked Meetra.

“Alek.”

“Really?” replied Meetra surprised. “I know Caleamar is tired, but enough to lose to Alek?”

“Alek is no longer just a headstrong bantha, he is changing. Watch,” commanded Revan. Alek whirled his lightsaber around and force leapt at his opponent. Caleamar was ready however, absorbing the impact of the initial blow with his lightsabers and counter attacking with his offhand lightsaber. As the two traded blows, both Revan and Meetra scrutinised their technique. While Alek was ferocious and unrelenting in his attacks, Caleamar was graceful and elusive. A small crowd had started to gather to watch the dance of blades. If the two fighters took any notice, they did not show it. “Alek is giving Caleamar a run for his credits,” Meera stated.

Revan agreed as the blades clashed again. “Caleamar needs to start pushing the openings that Alek leaves, he is being sloppy and because of that…” Revan paused as Alek started to put more and more power and speed into his attacks. Revan then sensed what Alek was doing. He was drawing power from the dark side, his eyes having a glint of yellow in them. Revan was almost proud of his friend, though it would help if Alek tried to hide his use of this power. Finally, Alek disarmed Caleamar with a mighty overhead swing and then grabbed him by the throat and threw him across the duelling circle. There were gasps around the duelling ground as such an action was deemed illegal and such aggression was attributed to the dark side. “He has lost,” Revan said to himself. Alek then looked around him and returned to his senses, rushing over to Caleamar to check if he was alright. After a pained nod from him, Alek began to stroll back to where Revan and Meetra stood. They both could see the conflict between the light and dark side in his eyes, though Revan was the only one who could see that the outcome was already decided. “So what do you two think?” boasted Alek loudly, “Am I the best duellist or what?”

“It was unconventional, Alek,” said Meetra.

Alek shrugged. “I won, didn’t I?”

“Did you?” questioned Revan staring intently at him.

“We must use any means to attain victory, isn’t that what you say, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past?” Alek countered aggressively.

“I do. Remember that there is no victory if there is nothing left,” Revan said evenly with an unyielding stare.

Alek huffed and went to talk with the small group of others who were impressed with his victory. Just then Caleamar, accompanied by his close friend Kira Carsen, came over. Kira was the same age as Caleamar and a little shorter than Meetra. She had short fiery red hair and deep blue eyes. She also did not look happy. “What in the force’s name was that?” Kira demanded. Caleamar looked at Revan and asked what Alek was doing.

“Not a word of this to anyone. Understood?” Revan said. Meetra and Kira nodded, while Caleamar was reluctant to do so. After a glare from Kira that brokered no argument, he agreed. “He was drawing on the dark side of the force,” stated Revan. “He was overwhelmed by it; controlled by it in the end.”

“What! We must inform the Masters,” cried Caleamar.

“Keep your voice down,” commanded Meetra. “The fact is if you weren’t tired from last night’s illegal ‘activities’ then you would have beaten him quickly, before he was overcome.”

“How… do you know?” stammered Caleamar; both him and Kira blushing.

“My room is next to Kira’s,” explained Meetra.

“She was insistent,” mumbled Caleamar, earning himself a death glare from Kira.

“Yeah and I’m sure you wanted no part in it, did you?” mocked Meetra sarcastically. Both Kira and Revan smirked at this. Caleamar then sighed tiredly and muttered under his breath that he was going to see a healer. Kira said she would make sure he wouldn’t say anything and then walked off after him.

“Well that was interesting,” stated Meetra.

“That’s one word for it,” said Revan. He couldn’t stop thinking what a dumb nerf herder Alek was for not even trying to suppress his dark emotions or his power. The crowd that had gathered started to disperse, all whispering to each other what had happened. It wouldn’t be long before…

“Revan, you see who’s heading this way?“ Meetra observed. Revan turned to look who she was staring at and sure enough a female human a few years younger than Revan was approaching.

“Bastila.” Meetra said the name with some distaste. Revan couldn’t blame her. Bastilla was the definition of an annoying Jedi. As soon as she joined the order she was moulded by the more conservative members of the High Council to be a model student. Haughty, prudish and arrogant, it earned her the nickname of ‘princess’ by Revan and his followers. There were rumours of her developing a unique power but it was kept far away from Revan and talked about in hushed tones by the masters. Revan could tell by her force signature that she was powerful, though she still had to develop yet.

As she approached she greeted them. “Meetra,” she said indifferently.

Meetra just nodded.

“Revan,” Bastila sneered.

“Princess.” Revan mock bowed. “To what do we owe this honour?” Meetra smirked at the overly sarcastic comment. They received a few looks and laughs from the Jedi around them.

A flustered Bastila struggled to control her anger. “the Council… they wish your presence at the Masters’ Circle for a meeting. Don't keep them waiting.”

Revan’s face sobered and then nodded. He thanked Bastila and then headed to his dormitory. Her face softened a bit, but still held a fierce glare towards the fading figure of Revan.

**Meetra**

“You know, you really need to work on your conversational skills,” remarked Meetra.

“Revan is … er… just so… childish!” exclaimed Bastila while blushing, taking Meetra by surprise.

“Look, Bastila…”

“No, forget I said anything,” Bastila interjected and then hurriedly left.

“This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger,” remarked Meetra to herself as she ran to catch up with Revan. The area was quiet as she followed his force signature through the temple grounds. Revan was renowned for being tricky to find, but his force signature… Meetra suspected he wanted to be followed. The temple was quiet as was the surrounding wildlife that lived inside and outside of the temple. It was as if they were all waiting for something to happen.

She found Revan in his room, standing, staring at his own reflection in the mirror. His slicked back black hair and his solemn face turned to greet her. He had a shadow of stubble starting to form on his chin. Sometimes she forgot how dark his eyes were, like black holes devouring all they saw.

“Meetra.” Revan greeted her with his welcoming smile.

“What are you doing here Revan? You were summoned to the Masters' Circle? It is unwise to keep them waiting. They might threaten to put you on janitorial duty forever,” cautioned Meetra sarcastically whilst leaning against the door.

“I needed to meditate, center myself, before I speak to the High Council. I have a feeling I will need a clear head in the meeting,” Revan said, as he seated himself on the bed facing her.

“And, why else are you here?” Meetra questioned knowing that Revan had wanted to be found. Revan looked at his hands steepled in front of him. After a long pause, he finally looked up.

“I think it's time,” Revan said with conviction.

“What time? What are you going on about Revan?” asked Meetra, clearly confused.

“It is time we entered the war,” Revan stated simply as he stood up.

She stared at him, not knowing how to react. “The Council will never sanction an intervention, you know how disillusioned Atris and Vrook are, they believe if we stay out of it we will be safe,” Meetra argued, as Revan walked to stand in front of her.

Revan put an arm on her shoulder. “You have felt it, haven't you?” Revan inquired, his eyes beginning to spark with hope. Meetra looked away from him, struggling to believe that today was the day. Revan continued, “It is like the calm before the storm.”

Meetra looked at Revan again and nodded.

“You have felt it too, the difference in the force, it is… expecting something,” Revan whispered to her, his eyes alive with belief. He gripped Meetra’s shoulder tightly. “This is it Meetra, I know it.” Meetra started to feel that same belief deep within her. When Revan spoke, she thought even the force listened.

“Then what will you do?” Meetra asked Revan.

He brought his other hand up to her other shoulder. “We, Meetra , we. I can't do this on my own, I need people I trust around me,” Revan said modestly. He looked away and then back at her intently while holding her shoulders tightly with both hands. “I need you Meetra. You’ve been with me nearly every day since we have been in this sarlacc pit. I need your wise counsel and abilities, and you seem to be the only one able to get through to Alek’s thick head.” They both laughed at this. “But most importantly I need you Meetra.” Revan gazed at her blue eyes, and saw a blazing determination staring back.

She nodded.

Revan let go of her shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.

“You idiot, you honestly thought I wouldn't join you,” Meetra said in disbelief. The amount they had been through together, she had thought he would have more faith in her. “Why?”

“I try to never assume. You look like you really did enjoy that agricultural class last week,” Revan said evading the question. That earned him a bruised shoulder.

She folded her arms and frowned at him and waited for him to answer honestly. Revan looked hesitant at first but soon gave in. “Even though this is the right thing to do, this is going to be extremely dangerous. We might not make it back. You being the sensible one, I thought you might try to talk some sense into me,” Revan said sincerely.

Meetra’s frowning face soon broke into a smile. “Then who would be watching your back? Alek would attack anything on sight and we both know whose back Caleamar would rather have.” They both chuckled, knowing how true it was. A comfortable silence descended on the room as they held each other’s gaze for a few seconds, doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company for they both had a feeling something big was coming.

“I'll always have your back Revan, even in the darkest of days,” Meetra swore as she moved forward and hugged Revan. Revan froze at first, not use to contact outside of sparring, but then relaxed into the hug.

“We are coming back, I swear it,” promised Revan. He then stepped back.

“Anyway,” he spoke quickly, “I need to get going.” He hurriedly went over to his locker and started changing into some black robes he had been given by his master for formal occasions. Meetra always found it annoying that Revan was slightly taller than her, though she did have to begrudgingly admit he had an attractive body. The years of dedicated training from Revan had honed his body into that of a hero from the holonet movies. A toned physique, covered with lightly tanned skin, added to the pleasant sight. Revan smirked as he saw Meetra’s appreciating gaze scan his body.

“Eyes up, Surik,” remarked the smirking Revan, making Meetra’s face turn a light shade of pink.

“Shut up Revan,” Meetra hissed, throwing a pillow from the bed at him. Revan laughed as he was hit by the non-lethal projectile. Revan turned to her after donning his robes.

“You need to gather everyone you can to witness the meeting,” stated Revan. Meetra agreed, adding that the High Council’s supporters were probably already there. “Get Alek and Caleamar to spread the word and then bring them to meet me outside the Masters’ High Circle,” commanded Revan. “I need to visit someone before I enter the rancor’s den.”

Meetra looked at him in understanding. “See you in a bit Revan,” and then she left.

**Revan**

Revan gathered his lightsaber and then went to the crypts of the Jedi. In the crypts there was a plaque devoted to each Jedi, a short description of their life and a holographic picture of them. The highest levels of the crypts were reserved for the oldest departed Jedi while the deepest levels were reserved for the recently deceased. It was always quiet down here, thought Revan. When he was a child, Revan had come down into the ancient stone crypts to hide from all the noise of the temple and the overwhelming nature of the force. It was here that Master Arri had always found and soothed him. It was also where she taught him how to centre himself, as the only presence here was the force. As Revan descended into the deeper crypts, he felt the peace of the area sweep over him like the great lakes of Naboo (at least as they had been before the war).

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he turned left and continued down the eerily lit passageway. After a couple of minutes of walking, he came to the plaque of his first Master, Arri Suret. It read simply ‘Mother to us all”. Revan booted up the holo image and then started speaking to her. “I, I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been learning, improving. I've been studying all previous wars, from the First Contact Wars to the invasion itself. I know powers the Jedi have forgotten or are too scared to use. I can cast push my body to a superhuman limit, almost to the point I can match them. I can beat them,” Revan spat. He started to lose control of his emotions, anger and revenge burned through him. “The time is coming, and with it, I will bring war. I am Revan. I swear, I will avenge you, mother.” Revan looked with misty eyes at the holo image.

Then a presence he had not felt for seven years washed over him for a split second. It felt warm and with it a familiar voice softly whispered, “Balance, my son.” Revan closed his eyes and cleared his mind, centering himself just as his Master had taught him so long ago. He was not sure who had said it, but he had read about beings becoming one with the force. He hoped that she had found peace wherever she went. After calming himself down, he said a final goodbye to her. As he went to switch off the holo image, he noted an unregistered log in. This was strange, as every Jedi was registered and this therefore led Revan to believe it must be an outsider. They had accessed her history and taken a copy of it. But why her, why now? Revan felt uneasy at this strange occurrence and decided he would investigate this later.

He made his way out of the crypts and finally began the long walk to the Masters' Circle. As he walked towards Guardians Rise, the hill on which the Masters' Circle was situated, he took in everything around him. Behind him lay the old Jedi temple complex. It was worn down and old, just like the Jedi, Revan mused. All around him Jedi murmured and whispered. Revan must have his friends to thank for that. He and his friends were highly respected by most of the Jedi for their power and skill. Furthermore, any confrontation between Revan and the Masters would cause most Jedi to come up with their own ideas and conspiracies as to what was happening.

As Revan walked up the path, he gazed at the old statues that ran parallel to the walkway. They were the Jedi guardians of old, those who devoted themselves to being peacekeepers of the galaxy, prior to the formation of the former great powers. Revan always wondered what caused the Jedi retreat to Tython. The history books and the masters that wrote them always stated the Jedi had decided that the temptation of the dark side was too much for the peacekeepers, who were constantly surrounded by conflict.

And what of the Sith? Revan thought. The Jedi’s ancient nemesis. Where the Jedi had retreated, the Sith had embraced the conflict, as was their nature. The Jedi and Sith had not fought each other much since the Great Retreat of the Jedi hundreds of years ago. The Sith, always the pragmatists, had decided to focus on fighting the old Republic or themselves. They did not see the point of warring with scholars, nor the effort it would take to invade the core worlds to get to them. The Masters still warned of the Sith’s heretical ways, but if the Sith had moved on, why couldn't the Jedi? Revan pondered this question as he got closer to the summit, the statues a constant reminder of what the Jedi once were. Revan wondered if the guardians of old would stand aside and watch the slaughter of their galaxy. He knew the answer, but would they have disobeyed the Council to go to war? Against a powerful enemy they knew so little about? This he did not know.

As Revan came to the top of the summit, he saw his friends and those sympathetic to his cause waiting for him; Meetra, Alek and Caleamar among them. They were standing outside the Masters' High Circle. It was a former training arena that the masters had converted into a forum. Revan gazed at the facade of the building, its crumbling white marble entrance standing in stark contrast to the dark soil. Here the avenue of statues ended. Revan gave them one last look before he began to walk over to those gathered before him. He walked with confidence as he approached them, feeling their emotions of anticipation and nervousness through the force. As they turned and saw him, a hush descended over them like a blanket.

Meetra, Alek and Caleamar stepped forward and greeted him. Caleamar told him the Masters were waiting and wished him good luck, leaving to take his seat. He looked the most anxious out of all them because he was the one with the biggest conflict in him. Revan knew that Caleamar did not know whether he supported him or the Council, but Revan hoped Caleamar would at least be neutral out of respect of their friendship. Slowly everyone started to file into the forum.

Next to speak was Alek, who said to ‘punch Vrook’ for him. Revan felt some of the stress that had built ease a little at his friend’s jest. Alek then slapped him on the back and said with a serious tone, “Good luck brother.” He then went to take his seat in the forum.

Meetra stared at him with a gleam in her eyes. “What?” asked Revan, matching Meetra’s steely gaze.

“You look like a leader Revan,” Meetra said in a factual tone.

“Thank you, Meetra,” Revan said smiling. He continued, “I meant what I said earlier, you know.”

“Oh, I know. May the force be with you Revan,” Meetra said seriously.

“And you,” returned Revan. Meetra turned and went to take her seat. Revan gathered his wits and stood in front of the giant crumbling marble pillars that led to the arena. He strengthened his suppression of his own force aura. He knew his aura was not of pure light; his knowledge of the dark side tainting his aura. Being this close to the Masters was risky enough. He usually avoided them as much as possible, even his own Master. He slowed his breathing and focused his mind and began to recite the code both his Masters had taught him:  
“There is no light without the dark

Through passion, I gain focus

Through knowledge, I gain power

Through serenity, I gain strength

Through victory, I gain harmony

There is only the force.”

After reciting this, Revan, with renewed focus, marched into the forum ready for the war of words.

As he walked into the arena, he was greeted by a familiar sight. He had been in the Masters' High Circle a couple of times. Each time it was due to something he or his friends had done. The first time was a mass fight between Revan and his friends against some snobby older Jedi, who insulted Alek for being ugly and as dumb as a wookie. Revan leapt to his friend’s defence and it wasn't long before lightsabers were drawn and a fight broke out. Revan smiled at the recollection of the memory. When it was all over, only Revan, Alek and Meetra stood, defeating the Jedi a few years older than them. That day was the start of their ‘don't mess with us reputation’.

The second time had been when they were fourteen and the three of them plus Caleamar had gone exploring a Jedi ruin, in which the old Jedi had supposedly created their lightsabers. The ruins were littered with old droids and creatures. When they finally got to the summit of the temple they had been attacked by an ancient guardian. These creatures were supposedly extinct, killed by the Jedi long ago. Obviously they were not. Then they had had a long and arduous fight with the creature.

This was where Revan had been able to practise his darker force powers for the first time, as his friends had all been knocked unconscious by the ancient guardian. The feeling of the dark side powers felt great to Revan, though he could feel the darkness settle within him. It did not feel unnatural however, more like he was finally acknowledging the presence of the darkness within him.  
They finally overcame the beast when Revan baited the creature to follow him under an overhanging rock. Meetra, who had recovered by then, plunged her lightsaber into the rock and it dropped on to the guardian’s head. The creature had collapsed onto the ground. Afterwards, they had all dropped from exhaustion. When they came to, they were met with the glaring faces of the Jedi Masters. It had been fun to explain to them what had happened, though the Jedi had soon secured the ruins and then used it to forge new lightsabers designs for the first time in centuries. Still, they had been reprimanded by the Council and confined to the temple complex for an entire year. These events always made Revan remember that he was never alone, and that without his friends, he would not have succeeded.

Now, as he went to stand in the centre of the circle, he took in the sight of all that surrounded him. On the arena floor there were three humanoid statues known as the ‘masked ones’. These statues were lifelike pictures of the first protectors of those who wanted to study the force, whether they studied the light or the dark side or both. Their masks were said to have been passed down through the generations of protectors, each time adding to the mask’s power. The masks had a thin horizontal rectangular shaped visor. Below the visor the mask was split into three columns, with the middle one being slightly raised. Their masks covered their entire face, similar to what was apparently worn by Mandalorians. They had been worn until the Jedi and Sith split. The protectors at that time did not want to pick a side and so placed the masks on the mysterious statues and disappeared into the galaxy.

When the Jedi first moved into the arena centuries ago, the High Council had attempted to remove their stone bodies, due to their link to both sides of the force. Unfortunately for the Jedi, the statues could not be moved. Their black emotionless masks had dared the Jedi to keep trying. Eventually the Jedi relented, and left the statues to their unending vigil of the arena. Of course, this was just a story told by padawans when they were bored, so Revan did not know how true it was.

The statues were in a triangular pattern to the north, south east and south west of the arena. The closest objects to Revan were the five chairs where the Masters were seated arranged in a circle around him. Revan looked to the seats situated above the arena. They were packed with nearly every Jedi from the Temple.

Revan nodded in greeting to the Masters in front of him. The Masters showed no emotion, though through the force Revan could sense their apprehension, and in some cases, disdain.

“Greetings, young Revan,” spoke the ancient Jedi Master Vandar. A relatively moderate Jedi, he was the leader of the remaining Jedi. He was part of a mysterious species which no one knew much about, being little and green but powerful in the force. He had always been on good terms with Revan and Revan in turn had always respected the old Master. Revan had spoken to him a lot following the passing of his first Master.

“Do you know why we have summoned you here?” asked the old Jedi.

“No, I do not, Master Vandar,” replied Revan respectfully.

“You’re late, though there is no surprise there. Oh, and black robes. Trying to play Sith now are we boy?” Vrook remarked. He was situated in the seat behind and to the left of Revan. Vrook was a middle aged man who was renowned for his dogmatic beliefs. He had been the first to notice and criticise Revan’s rising influence.

Revan struck him a steely glare and then responded with, “At least I do not play at being a Jedi Master, Vrook.”

Vrook looked at Revan with disdain, but before he could make a further comment Revan’s current master interjected. “We did not bring him here to comment on his dress code, so let’s get this underway.” It was Revan's Jedi Master, Keria. She was over to Revan’s right. She was an elderly female Jedi Master and liberian. An unorthodox Master, a lot of Revan’s followers had also had her as a Master. She had been the one who gave him the Sith holocron to learn from. Revan had learnt a lot from her, though he knew she had her own secrets, and consequently did not trust her. He therefore was not as close to her as he was to his first Master, though he still greatly respected her for taking her time to answer his questions on the force, no matter how dark. Revan returned to looking straight ahead.

“Revan, you have been summoned here to help us understand what happened in the duel between Jedi Knight Alek and Jedi Knight Caleamar.” Revan instantly became annoyed at the sound of the Jedi Master's voice behind him to his right. It was a voice that belonged to Jedi Master Atris. She was the one who had replaced his Master on the High Council. She was the youngest on the Council, being only in her early thirties. It was widely acknowledged that she was a beauty with her shiny white hair and sapphire eyes. For Revan though, she was just another Vrook, another Jedi Master scared of change and who stuck to the Jedi Code religiously. She hated him, he hated her.

“What would you like to know?” asked Revan, still looking straight ahead.

“What produced the dark energies that we felt coming from there,” asked the final Master Zhar Lestin, who was over to Revan’s left. He was a red male Twi’lek and the combat instructor of the Jedi, though he mainly spent his time studying these days. Revan had learnt everything he needed from the Master pretty early on, though there was a healthy respect between the two. Revan was cautious, however and raised his mental shields.

“Something to hide, Revan?” questioned Vrook, obviously noticing Revan’s mental shields.

“No, Master.” He turned to Atris. “I just don't want any unwelcome visitors.” Revan glared at her, feeling her presence probing his mind.

She stood up straight away saying, “There is no way a young Jedi knight should have mental shields like that.” Atris was looking at the other Masters who all looked slightly unnerved.

“Look Revan, we just want a confirmation of what happened. Did Alek harness the dark side during the fight?” said Zhar, trying to calm the situation.

Revan turned to face Zhar and looked at him. He had a feeling they already knew the answer. Revan thought about his options: Lie and hope they didn't already know or tell them the truth and in some way be in control of events. Quickly, he made his decision.

“Yes, he did.” There were gasps from around the arena. The Jedi Masters did not look surprised in the slightest and they nodded grimly. Alek, to his credit, remained impassive.

“And where did he learn this technique?” questioned Vrook, trying to lead to something.

“How am I supposed to answer that?” growled Revan in response.

“Come on Revan, don't play dumb with us,” Vrook taunted.

Revan whirled on him and said bitterly, “Say what you want to say Vrook. Stop trying to speak in riddles, it makes you sound stupid.”

Vrook stood up immediately and shouted, “How dare you Revan? He learnt that from you, didn’t he? Your aura is too quiet.” His eyes dawned in realisation. “You’re... you’re suppressing your own aura.” For the first time in a long time, the Jedi Masters Atris and Vrook felt nervous as they looked at this boy, who had abilities they had only read about.

‘Well, this just got more complicated,’ thought Revan, annoyed at himself for not being able to hide it properly.

Atris jumped up and demanded, “He and Alek must have the force removed from them, they are too dangerous to be left unchecked.” Silence then gripped the entire arena. Not since the initial Jedi civil war a millennia ago had this been practised by the Council.

“What...Did...You...Say?” Rage was starting to build within Revan. His hands were clenched tightly by his sides.

“Revan is too influenced by the dark side, he is lost to us,” said Atris dramatically to the Masters. “And Alek is more animal than man anyway.” Everyone in the seats around the arena started murmuring and arguing over what was the right thing to do. Alek himself was shouting curses at Atris, while Meetra was by his side trying to calm him down.

Revan looked at all the Jedi and just cocked his head in contemplation and then held up his hand for quiet. The arena fell into silence, showing his influence throughout the Jedi. Revan looked to the audience and stated, “Two of our masters, or leaders, want to kill me…”

“No one said anything about killing,” Atris interrupted hurriedly, realising where Revan was going.

‘Nice try Atris, but it's too late,’ thought Revan.

“And what would you call a being without the force. By definition all living beings have the force within them and the force leaves when the being dies. So removing the force from a living being is essentially killing them,” Revan’s raised voice thundered around the arena and Master Atris seemed to shrink back into her seat. No one else dared speak. So Revan continued.  
“Two of our masters want to kill me and my friend for learning and studying all aspects of the force, not just the disillusioned and one sided version they teach. They will punish those who are curious, those that wish to endeavour on paths they deem unsuitable. They let fear, fear of what might happen control them. Look around, the Jedi are slowly dying, we have been stagnant for too long.” Revan spoke calmly as he gestured to the crumbling arena around him. He continued, “Our ancient enemy the Sith haven't bothered us for hundreds of years. They have evolved, moved on, and yet we haven't. The Sith aren't our enemies anymore, they are.” He pointed to Atris and Vrook, both looking furiously at Revan. “If you think they would do it to just me and Alek, then you are wrong. They will keep doing it to maintain their position of control, their position of safety and comfort.” He then took a deep breath to gather his wits. He glanced to the spectators in the seats above. All eyes of the audience were watching him intently. Here goes nothing he thought. “They stop us from helping in a war, in which countless beings have suffered...”

“This has nothing to do with why you were brought before us Revan,” said Vrook aggressively.

“This is you trying to curb my influence among the Jedi and restrict my power while consolidating your own. Lets not pretend this is anything else,” replied Revan dismissively to Vrook.

“And what makes you think we are ready, young one?” interjected Vandar, curiosity getting the better of the old Jedi, the question shocking the other Masters. “We study the force, not make war with it.”

Revan looked straight at Vandar and passionately declared, “I believe we are ready Master, though that no longer matters.” Revan looked down at his feet in contemplation. Everyone looked in surprise at Revan’s statement, waiting with bated breath at what he would say next. He then looked back up at Vandar with a fire burning in his eyes.  
“It is no longer a question of ‘are we ready?’, it is a question of how many innocent beings are going to be slaughtered before we act?” Guardians Rise fell silent at that proclamation. Every mind was contemplating what Revan was saying.

Atris was the first to respond. “The enemy was pushed from our galaxy, the threat is extinguished...”

“The threat is extinguished?” Revan whirled around to face her, his face a storm of anger. For the first time in her life, Atris felt the tendrils of fear reaching deep within her. “Do not delude yourself. Yes, they have been pushed from the galaxy, but every month another world is destroyed. I feel them, feel the void that they leave behind, we all do.” Revan finished remorsefully. There was a murmur of agreement in the audience. All those connected to the force could feel it. They all knew the feeling.

"And what do you propose Revan?” said Vrook stubbornly. “You would go into their galaxy, their home, and try to slaughter them, when it took the uniting of our entire galaxy under the Galactic Confederation to defeat them. You would doom us all.” Again there was nodding heads in the audience, though not as many as before.

“You think that we will be safe if we just sit and hide here. They already hunted us once and the Sith are also in open conflict with them. They wiped out all the Hutts when the Hutts let them have their planets. They kill those who fight against them, they kill those who help them. How long until they turn their gaze on force sensitives again? How long until they decide to destroy this planet?” Revan said with frustration.

Master Vandar sighed tiredly and said, “Revan, there are not many force sensitives left, only this enclave and the very few Sith.”

“There will not be any of us left if they continue blowing up planets, Master Vandar. Their forces got to Felucia, Naboo, Yavin and Kashyyyk the first time they invaded. They will not fail again.” Revan spoke as if he was lecturing a youngling. “The people already despise us because we abandoned them once, we cannot make that mistake again.”

“The people are of no concern to us,” stated Atris simply. “They do not understand our life, they are blissfully ignorant.”

Revan snorted at the irony.

Zhar took the moment of silence as an opportunity to try and calm down everyone in the circle. “Look, this is getting us nowhere. Let us reconvene tomorrow with cool heads and open minds,” he cited wisely.

All of the Masters, except Keria, agreed, and so Vrook stood and proclaimed, “Do not think we have forgotten why we brought you before us, Revan. You and Alek will still answer for your crimes. Now we will adjourn…”

Then suddenly they all felt movement in the force, like a piece of them had been ripped out. Revan collapsed to the floor, fighting to maintain consciousness. Every breath was a struggle, trying to fight back the darkness. His body was hollow, like his soul was ripped in half. Bile crept up to his throat, threatening to spill onto the floor in front of him. His eyes watered as he swallowed the bile back down, trying to gain some measure of control back over his body.

“What happened?” Revan gasped from the floor, his voice raspy. “That can’t be another planet. That feeling, it was so strong.” He could only see the sky as he looked up motionless on the ground.

“What planet was it?” asked Vandar, his voice weak and far away.

Revan heard Keria unemotionally state “Taris, the metropolis world.”

“Taris was a neutral world,” someone cried.

“How many?” growled Revan, his anger rising, fuelling him to get up.

“The entire planet was destroyed. Over a trillion,” Keria stated slowly, looking up from a datapad. Revan had never seen her look so shocked.

Revan shakily stood up and saw all the other Jedi coming to terms with the loss of life. He glanced at all of the Masters, taking in all of their reactions. Vandar, Keria and Zhar all looked deeply affected, especially Keria. Even Vrook, the usually stone faced Master looked disheartened. Only Atris kept up her emotionless facade. Revan knew that he must seize this opportunity. He started, “That is why we must go, what good is it to study the light if there is no light left.”

Everyone absorbed his words. Revan then looked at one of the stone Jedi guardians in the circle, and felt a pull in the force towards it, like it was calling to him. He reached out with the force for the mask. The force flowed through him like a current, and after a couple of moments Revan ripped the mask off of the statue and brought it to his hand. The mask was humming with so much force energy, it was like a vortex.

“That’s impossible,” whispered Vrook.

Everyone in the arena was watching Revan closely, wondering what he was going to do next. Revan spoke still looking at the mask. “I will avenge this injustice and the ones that came before. I will protect this galaxy. So swears Revan!” The arena erupted into cheers as he cut his hand with the black mask and saw his blood seep into it, turning the middle strip of the mask red. Once the cheers died down, Revan turned back to the Masters with a look of fiery determination.

Keria finally spoke, her voice full of fury, “Revan is right, it is time the enemy paid for these heinous crimes.”

The Masters all looked at each other and came to an understanding. Revan could see that they had come to the same conclusion in different ways. Some through agreeing with Revan, others through fear of Revan.

“We will let you go on this crusade Revan. This loss of life cannot be repeated,” stated Vandar, still a little shaken after seeing all that had just occurred.

“And what of the others who want to fight?” asked Revan, hoping they would let others go. He was still only one man, and a very young man at that. Some would even call him boy.

“We would not advise them to join you,” stated Vrook. “However, they may join you if they insist.” He looked displeased but kept his opinion to himself.

“Thank you, Masters.” Revan smiled victoriously as relief flooded through him. Finally he could begin. Revan then walked out of the Masters’ Circle with intent in his stride, while the spectators started to file out.

**The High Circle**

After all but the Masters had left, Vrook protested, “We should have let just Revan go. Offering the opportunity to the entire order; it will split us.”

“If that is what the force wills, so be it,” Vandar replied tiredly. Vrook groaned in frustration.

“And when he comes back,” inquired Zhar, “what then?”

“If he comes back,” spoke Atris confidently.

“He will, he has a difficult destiny ahead of him, but we have all witnessed his power. It would be unwise to bet against him so early,” Keria said with a knowing smile. All the other masters turned to her.

“You’ve had a vision?” questioned Artis suspiciously “Quite conveniently timed, is it not?”

“What did you see?” asked Vandar, moving past Atris’ barbed comment.

“Darkness rising, but light rising with it,” replied Keria, who then left the circle, leaving the other Masters to contemplate what she had said.

As Keria walked out of the circle, she thought about the last of the family she had lost. After the destruction of Rhen Var, she had sent the remainder of her secret family to Taris, hoping its neutrality in the war would protect her remaining family. She was wrong. Now she knew her part had been played, it was Revan’s turn now. He would avenge her family. He was the instrument of her revenge.

**In Orbit Over Tython**

  
Revan looked over the planet that had been his home for fourteen years. So many memories, good and bad. It seemed surreal that he was finally leaving. Just then Alek and Caleamar entered the cockpit of the transport ship on which the Jedi were travelling.

“Finally, brother, we can take the fight to them. We will show them what a mistake it was to attack our galaxy and slaughter our people,” said Alek confidently, coming to stand beside Revan, looking out over Tython. His aura was full of anticipation.

“How many Jedi joined us?” enquired Revan.

“Three quarters of the Jedi on Tython. You put in quite the performance,” complimented Caleamar, leaning against the wall.

“We will need them all for what is to come. And thank you, Caleamar,” Revan said ominously. He then turned to Meetra in the pilot seat. “You ever flown a ship before?” questioned Revan, a hint of concern in his voice.

“No. It's not like I finished top of the piloting classes or anything,” retorted Meetra, smiling cheekily. 

“Set the coordinates for Coruscant then, it's time we spoke with The Galactic Confederation.” Revan commanded. He then checked he had everything. The holocron was in his bag of belongings, his lightsaber at his hip and his mask in his hands. Revan glanced back to Meetra.

“If you screw this up Meetra, you’re bunking with Alek,” Revan threatened jokingly.

“You do that and I’ll crash the ship,” Meetra countered. They all laughed at Alek’s expense. He was a renowned snorer and so didn't even try to defend himself. Revan thanked the force he was surrounded by these people, his friends. He would do anything to make sure they came back alive, even if it cost him his own life. Revan then looked at the mask in his hands and saw the black visor staring back. The ancient mask had called to him, and now it was time he answered it.

Revan donned the mask. It fitted surprisingly well, a little claustrophobic perhaps, but it felt… right.

“Are we ready?” Revan asked, his emotionless voice coming from behind the mask. Revan was surprised at how intimidating his voice sounded. If this is how the Guardians had sounded then no wonder they had such a legendary legacy.

Everyone took in his appearance and nodded. Revan gave the signal for Meetra to begin the jump to hyperspace.

As the stars turned into blue lines Revan said to them all,

“And now it begins.”


	2. The Deal with the Devil

**Revan**

The star of Rao shone down onto Krypton, the skyscraper-like crystals glowed, giving the planet a blue aura, similar to the image of the light side. Ironic, considering the atrocities people had carried out in Krypton’s name, mused Revan from the viewing deck on the bridge of his capital ship, ‘The Relentless’. The bridge was a hive of activity. Crew members were travelling back and forth, going about their duties while the others sat at their stations in the trenches of the floor, ready for any sign of trouble.

Revan’s black cloak and armour made him seem like a spectre of the shadows; his infamous mask added to the darkness around him. From his position on the viewing deck above the rest of the people on the bridge, he could feel the force ebb and flow around the room. The emotions in the room were anxiety and anticipation.

Revan and his allies had come so far in this gruelling campaign. Their journey had started out as a maverick group of Jedi looking to assist in the war. They had gone to the Galactic Confederation to offer their support and they were soon chosen to lead the assault against the Kryptonian Galaxy, much to the surprise of everyone. Their task group consisted of all the Jedi that had come with Revan, the few remaining Sith, most of the surviving Mandalorian Clans and barely trained soldiers from the Galactic Confederation. To top it off, Revan was made the leader of the task force, much to the annoyance of many veterans of the various forces.

Little had they known what sinister plot was unfolding behind the scenes. ‘If only we had found out sooner,’ Revan thought bitterly. Something had never felt right to him about how the leaders of the Galactic Confederation treated him, like he was a mascot for the war.

Just before their departure to the Kryptonian galaxy, a mysterious man named Cypher had introduced himself to Revan. He remembered their first meeting well as Cypher had made quite the entrance. Revan had been meeting with some of the Mandalorian leaders in the lower levels of Coruscant when he came under attack from assassins. With Cypher’s timely arrival, they killed the assassins alongside the Mandalorians. Revan had never seen someone without the force be so hard to sense before. Cypher just appeared next to him and started talking, which added to his mystique. He had warned of the dangers that were coming. Ever since then he and Revan had slowly become confidants, maybe even friends.

When they had first arrived in the Kryptonian core worlds, they'd been an inexperienced army with a seventeen year old boy leading them, believing that it was a suicide mission. Their own leaders wanted them dead. Now, two years later they were at the end. The Revanites, as they called themselves in honor of Revan’s leadership, had overcome every challenge thrown their way. That was not to say there hadn’t been a cost. Of the initial invasion fleet only half was left and the force users were down to a fraction of their previous number. Two of those lost were Caleamar and his partner Kira Carsten. Revan felt saddened at his friends’ deaths. Unlike so many, they had kept their darkness at bay, being the model Jedi (apart from their relationship) even amidst the carnage of war. They died defending the Praxic Station, during the greatest battle of the war so far, the gateway between the Kryptonian galaxy and their own.

After the successful occupation of the Praxic Station, the leaders of the Galactic Confederation sent them reinforcements to finish off the Kryptonians, thinking that most of the force users and Revan were dead. Little did the Galactic Confederation know that Revan was still alive. He swore that all those who had wronged him, his friends and his allies, would pay for their heinous crimes.

Alek, his old friend, had been captured by the much hated General Zod earlier in the war. Revan seethed at the mere thought of him. He was the architect of the destruction of Revan’s galaxy, ordering the extermination of his people. Revan had met him on the battlefield once, but after a brief confrontation, Zod had escaped with Alek. No one really knew what Zod's motivations were for starting to blow up planets. There was no pattern, no strategic goal. Just mindless slaughter.

So with his close advisors, Revan had formulated a plan to find his lost brother. He had a feeling wherever they would have taken Alek would also be somewhere they would take him if they captured him. It was an almighty gamble, but Revan would not abandon one of his friends. And so, with that in mind, he had surrendered himself to the Kryptonians. After Revan’s surrender, the Kryptonians relaxed as they thought Revan was the main threat and the brains behind the operation.

How wrong they were.

Meetra had taken up the mantle of leader of the task force, and instigated the surprise attack on the Kryptonians at the Praxic Station. After a great battle and losses from both sides, The Revanites secured a heroic victory.

Revan himself had been taken to the dreaded Rao Research Station, a place where the Kryptonians experimented on living beings. When Revan arrived he found Alek, or what looked like him. What he found however was not his brother, just an animal resembling him. The Kryptonians had turned him into a monster, by forcing Alek to fully embrace the dark side in order to survive their twisted experiments. After the events of that place, Alek changed his name to Malak, trying to embrace the change that had been forced upon him. He was never the same again.

Tortured and experimented on while he was held there, Revan had been pushed to his breaking point. Only one Kryptonian had showed him kindness in his three months there. A female scientist, whose voice was the only thing Revan remembered about her. The effect of the torture had left Revan so very close to falling to the dark side completely. His thoughts of his friends, the protection of his people and the burning hatred he held for those that had wronged him had given him the willpower to make it through the near unbearable suffering.

Furthermore, the experiments had resulted in Revan being more powerful than he had ever been before, at the cost of his emotional balance. Even the slightest annoyance led to Revan’s anger flaring up like a supernova.

“General Revan, we are being hailed by a foreign communication. It is not ours or Kryptonian in nature,” alerted the communications officer. Revan quickly made his way down the left ramp of the viewing deck to the main floor of the bridge, coming to stand with Cypher in front of the galaxy map at the centre of the spacious room. Grand Admiral Ruitika was standing with the navigators under the viewing deck. The red female Twi’lek nodded at Revan as the two made eye contact.

“It's him,” said Cypher, who was head of the Revanite’s Intelligence Division, bringing Revan’s attention to his Spymaster. He had been very secretive at first. However, he had proved himself very capable and even loyal, due to saving the fleet and rescuing Revan from the Rao Research Station.

After the rescue, Cypher had revealed his name and his past. He was the last of the infamous Imperial Cyphers. They were the super spies of the former Sith Empire, being trained in infiltration to assassination, from being a spymaster to running solo operations. He said his last orders were to meet up with Revan and assist his mission to the Kryptonian Galaxy. Revan had no choice but to trust him, as the spymaster had looked after him following the turmoil of the Rao Research Station.

One thing that made Deema extremely useful was that he had access to something he called the ‘The Numbers’, a network of spies and informants that had been established by him when they had arrived in the galaxy. Revan didn’t know the true extent of Deema’s network, but knew that nothing happened without his knowledge.

“Put him through,” ordered Revan. They had been hearing about a rogue scientist attacking the Kryptonians from another front for a while now. Revan had always thought that they might owe some of the success they had had in this war to this rogue scientist. In a fair fight Kryptonians would beat them every time, but through guile, trickery and sacrifice, they had been ground down to their last planet.

Suddenly, a light burst into the room, and a hologram appeared in front of Revan. People around the bridge all drew their blasters and lightsabers alike, looking worriedly at it. Revan however remained unmoving, he merely cocked his head in curiosity at the strange being. It was a green-looking humanoid with cybernetics weaving in and out of its body. Revan also noted it was bald.

“Greetings General Revan,” a computer-like voice said. “I am Brainiac, conqueror of worlds, preserver of knowledge. I have an offer for you.”

Revan motioned for his people to lower their weapons. “I'm listening,” replied Revan calmly, ignoring the intrigue of how Brainiac knew his name. Although Brainiac had probably found out about him, as they had Brainiac, through the Kryptonians.

“You will not invade Krypton, your fleet will remain in orbit and eradicate any Kryptonian ship if they flee en masse. Stragglers are not to be concerned with.”

“And in return?” asked Revan, his mask unmoving while looking at the life-like hologram.

“I will not assimilate you and your civilisation after the Kryptonians.”

“How can we refuse?” said Deema dryly off to the side. A glance from Revan’s mask silenced him from making any further input.

“I will let you know in a half rotation of Krypton,” stated Revan.

“Do not keep me waiting,” Brainiac’s cold virtual voice finished. His hologram then vanished.

Revan looked at the communications officer. “Summon the inner circle.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You have the Bridge, Grand Admiral Ruitika.” The Grand Admiral responded with a sharp salute.

Revan then left the bridge, with Deema at his shoulder, and headed towards his council room. Deema had light brown hair and startling bright blue eyes that twinkled with mischief. Though his immature manner made him sound like a child, he was a couple of years older than Revan. His most distinguishing feature was the three parallel scars that ran from just above his left eye to the bottom of his left cheek, defining what was an otherwise handsome face. He was wearing his imperial trench coat, which added to his aura of mystique. The amount of things that he kept in the pockets of that coat was unbelievable. From knives and poisons to deodorant and gift cards; that coat had it all.

“He was a nice guy, definitely won't backstab us the first chance he gets,” Deema said sarcastically from behind Revan.

“Why would a computer lie?” replied Revan.

“Cold Hard Logic. If it has some kind of AI or robot mind, it will follow logical steps. Though, I have a feeling he is not all robot,” Deema summarised.

“Whatever it is, it’s beating the Kryptonians. If it was easily predictable, it wouldn't be beating them, would it?”

“Well, you are beating them, they can't be that bright,” Deema said smirking.

“Enough. Save your smartass comments for another time,” Revan finished, as his anger rose.

Deema fell into silence behind him as they continued towards the council room. He had to be one of the most annoying people Revan had ever met. His sarcasm, disrespect and apathetic view on most things was a great frustration for Revan, who on many occasions had to restrain himself from lashing out. Fortunately for Deema, he was extremely good at what he did and had even earned Revan’s trust.

“You're walking like you want to hit me again,” Deema said, no doubt smiling. Revan just shook his head as they neared the entrance to the council room. Outside waiting for them was Captain Dec, third in command (after Revan and Meetra) of Revan’s ground forces; he stood to attention as Revan approached.

“At ease, Captain,” Revan ordered and stood in front of the long-standing captain. Dec was one of the veterans of the war, seeing action across multiple fronts before being ordered to assist Revan’s campaign. Rather than try and undermine Revan’s leadership in the beginning like a lot of the other experienced leaders did, he decided to help Revan, preparing him for his role and training him in warfare. He was an excellent soldier and led his men from the front alongside Revan, personally killing five yellow sun Kryptonian on his own, the highest in the task force which had earned him the nickname of “The Terminator”. To Revan, he was a close friend and mentor, what he imagined a father would be.

“The council are ready and waiting inside, sir,” Captain Dec said relaxing in his Republic vanguard armour. His helmet was secured under his left arm. Like most Vanguard troopers, his armour was very bulky, consisting of heavy tactical gear, making him look like a walking tank. Overall, he made for an intimidating sight. Even Deema didn’t mess with Dec.

Revan entered the council with Deema and Dec at his back. The council room was a large circular room with a giant holographic table in the middle of it, currently showing a map of Krypton. Around the map were the rest of Revan’s inner circle.

As he stepped up to his seat around the map, he watched as the others moved to sit in their positions. To his right was Deema, slouched in his chair looking as bored as ever. Only those who knew him would know that he was paying key attention to everyone and everything in the room. Across from Revan sat Alek, or as he was now known, Malak. The war had not been kind to Malak. His mind was fully submerged in the dark side, though Revan hoped he could guide his old friend back. His skin had paled even more and his eyes glinted with a sickly yellow hue. Malak's appearance was that of a nightmare, his infamous blood red armour, a stark contrast to Revan’s black, was known throughout the system. He looked like a priest of some kind of blood god.

Revan started “Thank you for your timely arrival, a new development…”

“Why have we not invaded yet, General Revan?” interrupted Malak arrogantly. He had been becoming more and more bold in his defiance of Revan, arguing with him over minor decisions and commands. Malak was an advocate of brutality while Revan preferred more efficient means of victory. Deema had also informed Revan that Malak had begun to grow his own personal power base, and that could only mean one thing. Revan knew that they were on a collision course. However, he still hoped that somewhere in the beast known as Malak, his old friend Alek was still there.

“Patience, Malak,” said Meetra who sat in between Deema and Malak, “Let Revan speak.” She nodded for Revan to continue. Where the years had been unkind to Malak, they had been generous to Meetra, she had developed into a smart and beautiful woman. Her body had filled out and the war had kept her in excellent shape. Only her eyes betrayed this image. They had seen too much in her young life, showing an understanding and wisdom beyond her years. Her place as Revan’s second-in-command was well earned and she was well respected throughout the entire fleet. She had assumed command once Revan had been taken prisoner, and led a guerrilla style campaign to keep the Kryptonians away from the Praxic Station.

“This is Brainiac,” Revan gestured at the holo image in the centre of the room. “He is the mysterious rogue scientist we have been hearing so much about.”

“That ugly thing?” questioned the leader of the Mandalorian forces, Canderous Ordo, now squinting at the holo image. He was a Rancor of a man, standing at 6’6” and bursting with muscles. He was known as ‘Mandalore the Preserver’ as a consequence of leading his people through hell and back and then some. Canderous was a great leader of the Mandalorians, being able to control them and use their unique talents effectively. He highly respected Revan, as the first thing Revan had done when the Mandalorians were assigned to the task force was to learn all he could about them and train with them. He studied both their tactics and their warrior culture. To many Mandalorians in the fleet, Revan was one of them.

“That thing, whatever it is, couldn't set half the Kryptonian Galaxy on fire. No one could do that on their own,” Canderous said.

“From what we have gathered, we know he is a scientist with the goal of preserving and keeping the knowledge of civilisations. He does this by ‘bottling’ cities.” He brought up an image on the monitor of a Kryptonian city being bottled. The city then vanished from the screen. “And in answer to your statement Canderous, we don’t know. The cybernetics in him suggest some robotic connection, so maybe he has something similar to droids under his control?”

“Where did it go, is the city destroyed or transported?” asked Bastila, leader of the Jedi contingent of the fleet. She had been the one to replace Caleamar as the Jedi representative after he died, arriving with the reinforcements after the capture of the Praxic Station. Revan had been surprised when he had arrived back from his captivity to find Bastila, with a new group of Force users from their galaxy, awaiting him. Revan asked why she had come and the words that followed seemed more pained than he had anticipated, _“I could not ignore the void any longer.”_ Revan knew all too well how that felt, and welcomed her into their forces. Bastila was the youngest member on the council, yet she had a sharp mind for strategy and the power of battle meditation, meaning that she was instrumental in any battle she fought in. She was still learning and could be arrogant sometimes , but everyone could see that she would one day make a fine leader.

“Again, we are not sure, but that is ‘bottling’. He is a collector, he said so himself, so the likelihood of him destroying things is small,” explained Deema. “This footage was playing on Kryptonian news on the last ship we captured.”

“We believe his mind works like a computer, an extremely advanced AI. Similar to a droid, but more cyborg. He has an objective, and he seeks the highest possible likelihood of success,” Revan continued.

“Why are we talking about a rogue scientist? The Kryptonians are waiting to be conquered!” Malak shouted angrily.

Revan struck him a steely glare, his mask rivalling Malak’s appearance in haunting imagery. A battle of wills began in the room. Finally Malak grew frustrated and backed down. ‘Patience was never Malak's strong suit,’ thought Revan.

“Because he has threatened to attack us after the Kryptonians if we invade Krypton,” Revan finished, knowing this would not go down well. Nearly all of the members of the council were prideful, and a threat like that would likely stir them up. Which it did.

“What?!” Said Malak, disbelief clear in his voice.

“That's outrageous,” cried Bastilla trying to keep calm.

“If he is asking for a war, then let him taste Mandalorian steel,” said Canderous bringing a gauntleted hand up and turning it into a fist.

“No.” All eyes turned to the true Sith in the room. “We cannot.”

“A Sith scared of war. Shows how far you have fallen old man,” Malak jeered.

“I've been in this fight longer than you've been alive boy, so stop talking,” replied Darth Thanatos through his skull-like mask, staring at the holographic image of Brainiac, chin in hand. No one had ever seen what lay under that mask, not even Deema. Darkness seemed to roll off of him in waves. His force signature screamed of death. Even Revan was wary of the power this man had. “We have neither the manpower, nor the want for another war. The Sith are dying out. Another war against an even greater enemy would surely result in our extinction.”

“You weak…,”

“He is right, Malak. The Galactic Confederation soldiers do not want another war. They want to go home to their families. Our supplies are also starting to run low, there is no way to maintain a new war against a new army this far away from home,” stated Dec, in his usual curt tone. Dec was one of the only people Malak listened to, whether through respect or fear, Revan did not know.

“It’s one being!” shouted Malak glaring at Dec, obviously feeling brave. No one ever raised their voice at Dec.

“Malak, Malak,” tutted Deema from his chair, a smirk on his lips, “that ‘one being’ has survived the Kryptonians and has pushed them back on his own. I think he would fancy his chances.”

Reluctantly, Bastila nodded and added, “The Jedi are also in no position to be a part of another war. With the losses of this war and Revan’s new teachings of the force, bringing the Jedi and Sith together in one school of thought, both of our factions need time to preserve our knowledge and organise this transition. When we all agreed to go down this new road of enlightenment, it was to protect against new threats in a new galaxy, it will take time to train everyone into this new school, from Jedi and Sith to Guardian.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, apart from Malak.

Revan looked at Canderous awaiting his response.

“I trust your judgement Revan, ever since our first battle together I have never needed to question it. The Mandalorians are with you,” Canderous swore.

Revan looked around and said “All in favour agreeing to Brainiac terms?”

All but Malak raised nodded agreement.

“Good, it is decided then. Dec prepare the fleet to maintain orbit around Krypton. We will see this through. As soon as Brainiac is done we will move in.” Revan said, sending the communications officer a message to accept Brainiacs offer through his holo computer in his left gauntlet.

“Prepare your men for ground ops, you'll be the first ones in.”

Malak’s lips smiled cruelly, “With pleasure, General Revan,” and with that he got up and left. Revan felt the urge to throw his lightsaber into the back of Malak, but restrained himself. He could not let himself fall to the darkside completely, he would never forgive himself for it. On Tython he had swore to keep his friends safe. He intended to keep that promise.

“You three,” commanded Revan, pointing to Meetra, Bastila and Darth Thanatos, “will head back to the Praxic Station and begin our preparations to return to our galaxy.” Bastila and Meetra went to object but Revan interrupted before they could. “You know we are not expecting a warm welcome back home, I want you three to make sure the forces are ready to move within a week. It is imperative we move with haste.”

All three nodded, saluted, and marched off to carry out their duties, leaving Canderous, Dec and Deema as the only ones left in the room with Revan. ”Canderous, get the Mandalorians geared up and doing training exercises, we need to make sure they are ready at a moment’s notice,” Revan ordered. If things went wrong or Brainiac changed his mind, their skills would be needed.

Canderous banged his chest in a Mandalorian salute and left. After the door closed behind him, Revan turned to Dec, “I want you to oversee the analysing of the data of everything we have on Brainiac. Then, compile a report on tactics and ideas we can utilise against him now, or in the future.”

“Understood, General Revan,” and with that Dec left to begin his task.

Revan stood and looked at the holo image of Krypton. He studied the surface of the planet, seeing giant crystal formations and great cities. “We are so close to the end,” said Revan.

“You think this is the end? That is oddly naive of you,” Deema scoffed getting up from his seat. “Our own galaxy wants us, or namely you, dead. This task force is already starting to divide into factions ready for when we return to our galaxy. Some want to go back and destroy the Galactic Confederation, some want to go back and support it and the rest just want to go home. And, on top of that, we still have the Kryptonians to deal with.” Deema sighed, having joined Revan in staring at the image of Krypton. Revan knew that he wasn’t the only one to have sacrificed a lot to get here.

“You know, after this, Malak is going to challenge you. You have to be prepared to do what is necessary,” said Deema uncaringly. It was a well known fact that he and Malak had no love lost between them.

Revan stayed silent, contemplating the possibility of killing his old friend. He did not like it. Malak was one of the last links to a life before the war; a life before death. To kill Malak would be to kill something of his old self.

“He is not the same man you were friends with. If there was any other way I would support it… but this is Malak. He is a butcher and a murderer and given the chance to kill you, he will,” said Deema with certainty.

“I know.”

“I won’t let him kill you, you know that. If I have a chance...”

“No, this is not your fight. You interfere with the fight between me and Malak and I’ll kill you myself,” Revan snarled, spinning to face him, his anger flaring up at Deema’s interference.

Deema smirked, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.”

Before anything else could be said, a message interrupted them.

“What is it?” asked Revan, speaking into the comm link in his mask.

“A Kryptonian civilian code, General, coming from the surface near Argo City. They are asking for you,” reported the comms officer.

“Put it through to the command room,” Revan ordered, cocking his head in curiosity at who would contact him.

“This should be interesting,” added Deema as if he was reading Revan’s thoughts as they both returned to the centre of the room.

“It’s done General,” said the comms officer. As soon as he had stopped speaking, a calm female voice echoed throughout the room.

“Hello, is this Revan? I have a proposition for you.” Revan looked at Deema who was quickly typing into a datapad and glanced up, and with his nod, confirmed his bad feeling. Her voice brought back a lot of unpleasant memories. The voice belonged to one...

“Alura El. I ran a test as soon as she spoke. It’s her’s,” Deema confirmed, frowning at why a former Kryptonian scientist was contacting them. Revan had a feeling they weren’t going to like what she had to say. He opened the transmission.

“This is General Revan of the Galactic Confederation. What are you proposing?”

“I take it you know who I am. Let’s skip the formalities, we don’t have the time. I'm offering you a deal, for my people and for your people’s future.”

“How poetic,” mumbled Deema.

“What exactly are you offering?” enquiried a curious Revan.

“Our records and information regarding Brainiac and our secret weapons projects that we’ve had in development. Both will be highly beneficial to you and your people.”

“And what do you want in return?”

“For you to let two single manned ships through your blockade. One with my daughter, Kara Zor-El, and the other with her cousin, Kal El.”

“And how am I to trust that this is not some kind of trap?”

“This is for my people’s future, Revan, my daughter’s future. And, in a sign of good faith, I’ve sent you some of the information about Brainiac.”

Revan and Deema both looked up at the new information displayed before them on the holo table. There were two lists. One in which the planets that had been assimilated by Brainiac, the other a list of planets that had been destroyed. Revan stood motionless while Deema rubbed his temple with his fingers.

The lists were identical.

They had noticed on their long range scanners that there were anomalies where the planets should be, but they had thought it either a new Kryptonian technology or the Kryptonians blowing up their own planets to slow down Brainiac.

“Well… that’s unfortunate,” Deema commented after muting the transmission.

“If this is what it takes to protect our people, then so be it. The Kryptonians started this war and now they will have to pay the ultimate price,” Revan stated vigorously, thinking back to the billions of his people that had suffered because of them.

Deema raised an eyebrow at Revan’s statement, “never took you for a genocidal maniac Revan. But come on, we both know you’d never forgive yourself if this is how it ends. Trust me, we don't need you brooding anymore than you do now.” Deema chuckled at his own jape.

Revan whirled on Deema and had his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he angrily said, “I felt a disturbance in the force from the planets they destroyed, and the void it left. It was as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Every. Single. Month. They sowed the seed of their destruction the day they began the extermination of OUR galaxy. OUR people.”

Deema just stood there smiling at Revan, his taunting grin eat at Revan more every second. “And what do you think your first Master would say to this, is this what she taught you?”

“Don't you dare…”

“We find another way Revan. I’m all for efficient solutions, but this is just wasting a future asset.”

“Then what do you propose Deema,” Revan said, slowly calming down, eyeing the holo image of the lists.

“We collect the data, let the two Kryptonians go on their way and then leave. If they ever try to act against us in the future, we can use this as proof of our intentions. Plus…”

“If we can one day recruit the Kryptonians into our cause, that would mean the ultimate victory. For what greater victory is there than turning the enemy to your side,” Revan recited.

“Let me guess, Master Keria?”

Revan nodded and changed the holo image back to Krypton before asking, “What about Brainiac?”

“He said not to worry about stragglers. Also, we will not be invading, so we will not be breaking his terms,” Deema summarised with a shrug, before drawing one of his vibro daggers and twirling it around. Revan recognised this action as Deema trying to think. He often became fidgety when he contemplated.

“Strange - the stragglers comment, a collector doesn’t usually let objects he is collecting get away,” Revan commented, his arms now folded across his chest.

“Unless it’s to lead him to something else,” pondered Deema, the vibro dagger a blur in his hands. “But we can’t worry about that now, we need to deal with this first,” he said nodding at the holographic planet.

“I agree. The two Kryptonians, while still a threat, could easily be dealt with,” Revan added thoughtfully, coming round to Deema’s idea.

He stood silent for a moment, contemplating the results of this pivotal moment. “Malak will confront me straight away, of that I am certain, if we go down this path. He will no doubt detect the data going to my ship and realise something's amiss, especially when we allow the two ships through our fleet. The resulting fight will be the end of one of us. Malak won’t back down, and neither will I.”

“Then so be it,” Deema said harshly. He then pointed with his vibro dagger to the door Malak had walked out of and then to the holo image of Krypton. “It’s him or an entire race Revan, your choice.”

Revan rubbed his mask with his gauntlet, feeling sick between having to make this choice.

He began this war to protect his people.

To protect his friends.

But, he sadly realised that Alek was as good as dead.

It was already too late to protect him.

Revan hadn’t protected Alek, and now the monster of Malak had manifested.

While this woman who had shown him the only kindness is his darkest moments was asking for his help.

Help to save her people.

He would not be a monster like Malak. 

They would not win.

Having made his decision, Revan turned back to the console and resumed the conversation, “You have a deal, you will transmit the data to us and in return, we will let your ships leave and go safely on their way,” said Revan, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

“Good, I will not however transmit the data,” came an arrogant reply.

“What?” Revan asked frustrated.

Deema just smiled as if he was expecting it.

“You’re going to have to come and get it. The data is too large to transmit without gaining Brainiac’s attention. I’ve sent you the coordinates. See you in one standard galactic hour Revan,” and with that the transmission switched off.

“You’re going down there, aren’t you?” Deema said tiredly, having sheathed his knife. “You know this is a terrible idea, it is most likely a trap. Alura was the only one who slowed down my search for you when you were captured. It took until I threatened her family for her to give in. She is not to be trusted.”

“You said so yourself that we have to do this, if you don't want to go, then don’t.” Revan contacted Captain Dec through his comm in his mask, “Prepare my ship and have the ‘Ghosts’ there prepped and ready.” Revan then promptly walked out of the command room and made his way towards the hangar. “Ghosts, really? They couldn’t come up with anything else?” snarked Deema from behind him.

Deema followed Revan closely, looking as relaxed as ever, yet frustration bled into his eyes. They continued in silence, which was a rarity with Deema around, until they reached the entrance to the hangar.

Revan felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around to face Deema. If there was one thing he hated, it was being touched, and Deema knew this. The only people who touched him were those trying to kill him. Four assassination plots against him by two Sith, a Mandalorian and a Jedi had not helped this. Deema gestured to his throat, which made Revan realise he had been force choking him. Revan shook his head and released him. His emotions were getting harder and harder to control. Revan crossed his arms and stood there waiting to hear what Deema was so desperate to share.

“I know you think you owe her something for what she did…”

“Don’t… I’m not doing this for her,” Revan sneered, hating how easy it was for Deema to read him.

“Yes you are. You’re also doing this for yourself, to prove to yourself that you are not a monster. It’s stupid,” Deema fumed, but then sighed.

“But I can’t let you go down there on your own, especially not with her. We will take my ship, it has got new stealth tech from the big shot doc who is also an inventor. You know the one, he was close friends with Caleamar.”

Revan knew the one, though sadness overcame with the mention of his fallen friend. However, he cocked his head curiously, looking at Deema, trying to work out his motive. He always had one. “Why do you want to come down to the planet with me, into what is most likely a trap?”

“I didn’t drag you out of one hell to let you die in another.” Revan was taken aback at his sincerity, but quickly nodded in understanding. He would face the unknown on Krypton and Deema was a good person to have watching your back. Revan hated to admit it, but he trusted Deema, as annoying as he was. As he entered the hangar, he signalled to the Ghosts who were waiting by his personal ship to follow him and Deema.

“Anyway, I’ve always wanted to see Krypton. I heard that even their dogs have super powers,” Deema said jovially as they made their way to his personal X-70B phantom class prototype starship.

** Revan - Krypton’s Atmosphere **

As the ship entered the lower atmosphere of Krypton, Revan looked out of the cockpit and took in the strange sights it had to offer. The world was unlike anything Revan had seen. The closest he could think of to something similar was the giant crystals of Ilum, but still there were no blizzards or snow. Kryptonian megacities nestled themselves between the giant crystal formations. Some of the skyscrapers of these cities reached above the crystal formations as if racing them to touch the sky first.

“Five minutes out, Revan,” Raina Temple, Deema’s second in command said from the pilot’s seat. Revan nodded and made his way to Deema’s room in which a storage container had been given to him. Revan took his mask off and put it in the container. The mask was infamous and therefore Revan knew it would be too risky to take it onto Krypton.

He ran a gauntleted hand through his long unkempt jet black hair that fell around his neck. What would Wilson say if he saw him now, he laughed to himself. The old Sith leader had broken all stereotypes of the ‘evil’ Sith. He had a basic name with no title and was joyous and, in a strange way, happy. The old man was a juggernaut on the battlefield, but he also had an honourable heart. Again, it was another friend Revan had buried. Wilson had fought with Revan, before getting killed by Zod, in the battle before the Praxic Station operation. It was always the good ones who died first he thought.

Banishing those thoughts from his mind, he continued taking his equipment off. He ran his hands over his face, and felt the scar on his right cheek and reminded himself what it was like to feel his own skin. Sometimes, with all the armour and the mask, he forgot what it was like to feel. The scar always reminded him that he wasn’t immortal. He had learnt after his first battle how to harness the force to rapidly heal his wounds. Only the deepest scars remained, both inside and out.

He looked back down to the mask. The mask was on more often than not, only taking it off to eat, which he did privately. It helped as it had a limited heads up display showing the names of people he looked at, while also showing any urgent communication between his forces. Obviously these distractions were disabled in a battle, though Revan regularly checked when he could. It meant a lot to a soldier if you knew his name in the heat of a battle. He tried to spend as much time with them as possible. Sometimes, he would go to the cafeteria and talk with his soldiers. A lesson he learned from Dec was that if the people of the fleet believed that he cared about them just a little bit, then they would fight that little bit harder. Those small margins meant life or death for them, victory or defeat for Revan.

For many, the mask was Revan, and even Revan forgot this sometimes. It was strange for him to remember that he was barely a man, still only nineteen years old. He unclipped both his lightsabers and placed them next to the mask in the container and swapped his armoured black robes for some lighter tactical gear, which was similar to that worn by his scouts. Revan did not like the feeling of just robes, he liked the feel of armour. Armour was like a second skin to him, his body used to the extra weight. The attempts on his life had shown why it was important to always be prepared for anything.

After reminiscing about the past assassination attempts, Revan picked up his five Mandalorian iron daggers, which had been given to him by The Mandalore as a pledge of his people’s allegiance. Four of knives bore a unique blade and hilt, specialised at doing a particular job such as stabbing, throwing or slashing. The fifth one of the set was a hybrid of the other four, being able to do any of the jobs required of it adequately. It held a special significance to the Mandalorians however, as when the owner of the knives found their beloved, they were supposed to hand the hybrid knife to them as a sign of trust and a promise of protection. Because of this, it was nicknamed the ‘Blade of the Heart’. Revan found that story unbelievable as he would never want to be without one knife, especially the most useful one. Just another Mandalorian story over embellished as they usually were.

Revan stashed one in his right boot, one in his left gauntlet and the rest in a holster across his chest. Each sheath was unique to its blade, able to slot in to make them nearly indistinguishable on his left arm and his right leg. The ‘Blade of the Heart’ sheath was fittingly placed over his chest, making it clearly visible to all. He did one last check on his equipment, closed and locked the container and made his way towards the exit ramp.

As he got there, he felt the ship bump as it hit the ground. Waiting for him there were Deema and the four members of the Ghosts. Deema was dressed in civilian gear, though Revan doubted he was unarmed. The man had more weapons than an armoury. The Ghosts were in their black camouflage gear which let them blend in to the surrounding environment like Shades. The Ghosts, formerly known as Special Operations Squad 88, were the task group’s best infiltration and recon team. With 38 missions and a 100% success rate, they had earned the nickname ‘Ghosts’. Most special forces worked closely with Revan, though the Ghosts were different as they mainly worked with Deema, due to their talents behind enemy lines. Revan started issuing instructions.

“Form a perimeter around the ship and let no one other than Cypher and me through. Remain unseen and ensure any threats are dealt with. Any questions?”

They were as silent as their namesake.

“Good, move out,” Revan ordered. The squad activated their cloaking technology, which made them completely invisible and cancelled any noise output from the user. When he sensed that the Ghosts had left the ship and taken up their positions, he looked at Deema.

“Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. By the way, you look awful,” Deema said casually.

Revan just rolled his eyes, ignoring Deema’s ‘helpful’ observation.

“I can’t actually remember seeing you without that mask, I had forgotten what a handsome young man lay underneath,” Deema said with a mocking grin.

“Deema,” Revan said with annoyance clear in his voice.

“Yes, Revan?”

“Be quiet,” he sighed. Deema just chuckled to himself, finally content in his actions. Only Deema would try and make terrible jokes at a moment in which the fate of millions rested on their shoulders. Revan somewhat appreciated the sentiment.

When they stepped out of Deema’s ship, they were met with the sight of a beautiful garden, basked in the red light of Rao, which had started to descend in the afternoon sky. Revan took a few steps forward to admire the life around him. They were in a clearing surrounded by blue leaved trees with strange animals hidden within them. A path left the clearing and wove its way up the hill to a mansion. Past the mansion, rose a great metropolis, filling up the horizon. The city reminded him of Coruscant, as even with disaster on its doorstep, the city never slept.

“That’s Zor El’s mansion, Alura's husband if you didn't know. He is some politician with an awful lot of influence in the Kryptonian Government,” Deema stated, joining Revan in staring up at it.

“A meeting in her own home, that’s risky even for her,” said Revan.

“She doesn’t really play by the rule book, which is why she had the limited success against me that she did.” Deema said with a grudging respect.

“Do you think it is a trap now?” Asked Revan, his mind racing.

“No, I don’t know what game she is playing, but I don’t think it’s just us and her,” answered Deema. They started walking up the path, not sure what awaited them at the end.

**Alura El **

Alura took a sip of her drink as she saw the two figures walk towards her up the garden path. She was currently sitting at her dining table on the balcony overlooking her entire garden. Her garden was her pride and joy, as it was a place of happy memories with her husband and daughter.

But then the war came to her doorstep and all that was ripped away. Her husband was always called off into meetings about the war, while she was dispatched on various research projects. She had felt then that a rift had begun to form between them and Kara. It only worsened once they had started the ‘training’. She just hoped one day her daughter would understand why she did what she did.

Earlier in the day, her husband had informed her of the decision that the Kryptonian government had taken to destroy the Sunstone Fleet. As soon as the process began, she knew that Brainiac would attack to try and rectify the situation. She had already come to terms with her planet’s fate, but she would not accept that fate for her precious Kara. Her daughter was currently in Argo City at her training site, she would never make it back in time on her own. Alura had no one left who she could turn to. So, she turned to a man known for achieving the impossible.

Her staff had notified her as soon as Revan’s ship had touched down. She had dressed in the colours of her house, a soft blue dress with a red ‘S’ embroidered on it. She knew Revan would come, his curiosity would get the better of him. What she didn't know was who he was going to bring with him. He never operated alone, it was what made him special. A lot of her people only saw Revan as the dangerous one, but she knew better. She feared his allies more she did him. She knew Revan, he was dangerous but reasonable.

As the two figures came into focus, it became apparent they were two men, which discounted General Surik and General Bastila. Both had earned themselves fierce reputations; Surik for her insurmountable defence of the Praxic Station and Bastila’s ability to influence people’s minds across an entire battlefield that could turn the most dire situation into an advantageous one. That left either Malak the Marauder or Captain Dec. She was confident she could handle Malak. He was a butcher and a psychopath. She had dealt with Zod enough times to know how to navigate that one. She doubted Captain Dec would be a problem as he would follow Revan’s orders without question, like a loyal dog.

Yet to her surprise, even from this distance, she could tell it was neither of them. Malak and Captain Dec were large men, both sporting iconic armour. One of the men wore civilian clothing and walked like he was taking a stroll through a park, not about to meet a dangerous enemy. The other walked with purpose and his eyes did not leave her house.

A cold feeling of apprehension settled over her. A feeling of dread. One being had caused more problems than Revan and his allies combined. It was known only as Cypher.

When Revan had arrived in her galaxy, the Kryptonian intelligence network was attacked. ‘Not attacked, destroyed,’ thought Alura. After the intelligence services had been eradicated, people started disappearing from the street, rich and poor alike. The people could not believe an inferior being like Revan could orchestrate this and so believed it was another Kryptonian. Rich and poor were then fighting in the street. The Kryptonian state then had a war on three sides. Revan, Brainiac and it’s own people. Still, even that was nothing compared to what Cypher did next…

“Ma’am, they are approaching,” interrupted a servant. She nodded in acknowledgment, still studying the men coming towards her. They were less than twenty metres away now. She recognised Revan straightaway. He looked older than when she had last seen him, it was still hard to believe how young he was. His eyes held a certain gravitas that no one at that age should possess. She knew he had an iron will; she had seen the experiments and torture he had endured. The fact he was alive was one thing; it was another to have kept his sanity.

As they reached the stairs to her balcony, Alura took in Revan’s associate. A man slightly older and taller than Revan. While Revan’s attention was focused on her, the other man was looking bored out of his skull. She could see however that behind his bored facade, his mind was one of tension, focus and calculation.

Alura rose to greet them, speaking in Kryptonian, as she knew Revan understood her language. Revan stopped and cocked his head to the side a little, giving her a curious look. She gestured to the seat and drinks in front of her. Revan moved towards the seat, with his shadow close behind him. Alura summoned all the courage that she had, for her daughter’s life depended on this man. Revan sat down stiffly, his back hunched as he leaned forward as he scrutinized her, likely scanning her with his power known as the force. His companion on the other hand slowly walked around, taking in the sights. Neither took the offered drinks.

“Revan, you look… better than when I last saw you,” Alura began softly, “I’m glad you came.”

“I’m not,” said his accomplice, who looked liked he was admiring the architecture of the mansion.

“Alura, we both know we are not here for a catch up. Where is the data?” Revan said calmly leaning back in her chair. She motioned to a servant to fetch it. She motioned to a servant to fetch it knowing that she had ensured that would take time.

“It will take a little while as I had to enact extra security measures to prevent any unwanted visitors from retrieving it. Anyway, who is your companion?”

“You know who I am. You’ve known since you worked out I was none of the others.” Revan’s companion spoke as if he was lecturing a child, still facing her house.

“Cypher,” she snarled, her demeanour completely changing from welcoming to hostile in an instant.

“The one and only,” Cypher turned and bowed mockingly.

“You bastard. How dare you set foot on Kryptonian soil? After all you have done.” She stood and started to rant, trying to buy more time. “You’re a murderer. Why, why did you launch those chemical attacks? Innocent Kryptonian people died in the millions. People who had not set foot in your galaxy or had ever even spoken a bad word against you died.” She turned to Revan, “How can you stand having a monster like that with you? Knowing that at any moment he might just kill you or another million innocent people. I know you Revan, you are no monster.”

Revan’s eyes glinted dangerously as he slowly stood up. “Do not presume to know me Alura. Just because you studied me like an animal and then gave me some food now and again, does not mean you know me.” Revan’s anger rose steadily as he spoke. “Those plagues were synthesised from the ones your people unleashed on Korriban and Voss. They were non military targets, the Sith academy had been moved long before you dropped the bombs. The Voss weren’t even involved in the war. The Kryptonians wanted to make a statement of their immeasurable power. Instead, they united a galaxy. Look where we are now. You caused this, not us.” Revan’s eyes were wild with anger. Alura tried a different tack, knowing to push Revan further would likely see her dead. That could not happen. Not yet.

Alura held up her hands in a placating gesture and slowly sat down again, composing herself. She wondered if Cypher would ever stop moving. He was now agitatedly pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to the house behind her, his face showing that he was in deep thought.

“Do you know who leaked where you were being held?” Alura said slyly, trying to get Revan to calm down.

“Enough with the games, where is the data?” Revan said frustratedly, anger laced in his voice.

Just then, as if on cue, the servant returned with the datapad. Alura was starting to get anxious. Come on you robotic tyrant, do something useful for once.

As the servant made his way to the table, Cypher stepped in front of him to take the data pad. The servant was unsure what to do and tried to step around Cypher who then unsheathed a vibro knife with a raised eyebrow. The warning was clear to the servant, who handed the data over to Cypher following a nod from Alura and returned to the house. Cypher watched the servant as he returned to the house before sheathing the blade and turned his attention to the data pad.

Alura returned to studying Revan. It was still remarkable to her that a person so young could be Krypton’s downfall. If Revan had been born a Kryptonian, he would have conquered entire galaxies, of that she was sure. She truly regretted the day they had pushed him too far. Nightmares still gripped her during the night due to that day. Never had she been so terrified in her life. She would never forget that yellow light, consuming everything it touched.

Had they not pushed Revan that far, Alura had other plans she would have set into motion. Ones in which she believed would have changed the course of her people’s future.

Cypher interrupted her thoughts, “This is not Kryptonian tech.” Alura swore she could hear the penny drop behind her. “This is…” For a moment she felt proud to have got one over on the infamous Cypher. Revan cocked his head, a frown on his face.

But then she felt a different sensation.

It was the feeling of a cold metal resting against her windpipe. She felt Cypher pull her head back, bearing her neck to his blade. He was quick, she would him give that.

Suddenly, an ear piercing screech ripped through the air, assaulting their eardrums. She saw Revan stand, gazing up to a mothership that was now hovering above Argo City.

It worked a little too well, now it looked like she had played them against Brainiac.

“We need to leave, now,” Revan ordered, a grim look on his face.

“You can’t,” Alura gasped, the knife tightening to her throat, it’s cold steel stinging against her skin. Revan gave her an impatient look. “The data will only unlock once Kara Zor-El and Kal El are out of the system.” The knife started to draw blood. She spoke quickly but calmly, “Kal El will be fine, but Kara won’t make it back from the city on her own. I have a tracker on Kara, she should be on her way back. Please Revan, you promised to see her safely off the planet. Please, protect her.” She pulled the tracker from her pocket and held it out.

“Won’t Brainiac come after the data?” Revan questioned, still watching the mothership attack the city.

She laughed, an action that caused her head to be pulled back sharply, so that she was looking at Cypher. “Answer his question.” All humour from earlier erased from the spymaster’s voice. His voice sent chills down her spine.

“No, he attacked as the Kryptonian government started to destroy the Sunstone Fleet. He wants that, not the datapad. A mere coincidence, I assure you,” she said, trying to be as reassuring as possible.

“The Sunstone Fleet. You Kryptonians really are stubborn until the very end,” Cypher commented dryly.

“Brainiac with that technology would be invincible. You’ll thank us one day,” said Alura arrogantly.

“Where’s Zod? He was its leader, where is he?” Revan growled, his black irises danced with emotion within his eyes.

“He got sent to the Phantom Zone, for insubordination. He tried to flee with the ships. Someone sold him out,” replied Alura, trying to remember what her contact had told her.

Revan threw his chair down the garden and then ripped the tracker from Alura’s hand using the force, barely restrained rage flowing through him. Alura had guessed that the news wouldn’t go down too well. After all, General Zod was the one who had invaded the Revanites’ galaxy in the first place.

After exchanging glances, Revan and Cypher both moved. Cypher let go of her hair while Revan then stooped in front of her so that he was at eye level with Alura. She felt a prick at the back of her neck.

“When you wake up, you won’t have long, but you will at least have the chance to say goodbye.” Something akin to pain flashed in Revan’s eyes. Her mind started to cloud over, becoming foggy. Alura’s last thought was that she wanted to see her daughter’s face one last time, then the darkness consumed her.

**Kara Zor-El**

The siren.

The screams.

When the attack began, chaos reigned around her. People were running in all directions. Kara wanted to help, but her mother had told her if there was any attack from either the Revanites or Brainiac, then she was to make her way home immediately.

She was still sad how distant her family had become from her. A couple of months earlier she had had some operations, and after them she had been assigned a strict training regime. She had been isolated from her friends, as she no longer went to her usual college and had no more free time. The scientist team, which her mother was head of, had not told her what she was training for. So far all the training had involved building up her physical attributes and learning about the leader of the task force currently orbiting the planet, Revan. All they ever said was ‘you’ll know when you need to’.

Ever since the experiments, she had felt hollow like a shell. She felt weary and furthermore the world had seemed to lose some of its colour, some of its life. Sometimes, she would dream of what it was like before her operation. She didn’t know what they had done, but it felt like she was missing something. Though she never knew quite what it was she was missing.

Furthermore, since the operation, her parents hardly talked about anything other than how her training was going, being too busy for anything else. Her father was always in the centre of the city in meetings and councils, while her mother was always talking with the best scientific minds of the Kryptonians. Her mother had been back for nine months since being stationed on the Rao research station. When Kara had welcomed her mother back, she had never seen her so emotionless. Whatever had happened had left a lasting impact on her mother, as she was never the same again.

After Brainiac’s initial attack, she had managed to avoid his forces, sticking to the side streets, quickly making her way home. All around her were abandoned homes, stores and vehicles. As she walked past some of the burning buildings, there was a distinctive coppery smell in the air. Kara just ignored it as she made her way home.

Everyone else had headed to their designated ‘safe zone’. A place in which the government had promised all citizens would be safe. All it was was a gesture. Well, that’s what her mother had told her. She felt sorry for the millions trapped in them. A stray thought of her father saddened her and she hoped he had found somewhere safe.

Rao had fallen low in the sky by the time Kara came to a familiar large junction, the one which led to her home. Her blue uniform was dirty from climbing over debris and the smoke from burning vehicles she had encountered along the way. A hair band she had found kept her long blonde hair from getting in the way as she maneuvered through the streets. She let out a sigh of relief as she glanced up and caught sight of her home, on the hill in front of her. However, that relief was short-lived. There was a deep chasm between her and her home with only one large bridge to cross, which was covered in the wreckage of a crash. The bridge had two lanes, one for incoming cargo and one for outgoing cargo. On the bridge stood six drones, with a dozen or so bodies strewn across the bridge in front of them. Kara cursed. Of course they would watch all ways into and out of the city. Her only option was to try and sneak past them using the wreckage on the bridge as cover.

The drones were at the halfway point on the bridge, three watching her direction, three guarding the other direction. She slowly crept up the left side of the bridge, keeping to cover as much as she could. With every step she took, her heart rate increased.

Kara had managed to get to them without being spotted. The wreckage of a government drop ship was the last piece of cover on the left side of the bridge. Now there was no cover between her and the drones, the closest drone being only about ten metres ahead of her. She needed a distraction. Looking around her, she found a small piece of debris.

Perfect.

She took a deep breath and poked her head up to survey the scene. The six drones had spread out, equidistant from each other. There was little debris or cover between the six drones. On the opposite side of the bridge was the remains of a Kryptonian soldier with a bandolier of grenades on him. She ducked behind cover again, a plan formulating in her mind. His death wouldn’t be in vain, she thought sadly. If she threw it, she would have a couple seconds before the explosion went off to start moving.

It was a long shot, figuratively and literally. If it worked, it gave her a chance; if it didn’t, well, she shook her head to lose those thoughts, her heart rattling in her chest.

Positive thoughts.

Deep breath.

She stood, aimed and shot.

As soon as the rock left her hand, she started moving, keeping low to avoid the drone’s sight and the forthcoming explosion.

Every step her heart was pounding.

She heard the rock land on the mark.

But there was no explosion.

All six drones turned to the source of the noise, allowing Kara to pass the first one in her path. The two closest drones to the noise went to investigate. She hid her relief as the drone in front of her started to move over towards the centre of the bridge to join its comrades. She made it past the last drone and could see cover ahead. Only a couple more metres and she would be safe.

“Halt! Kryptonian!” A robotic voice sounded from behind her.

She froze, dread now settled over her like chilling snow. This was it. She wanted to cry in frustration. So close, it was torture. She could keep running, but all that would do was to lead Brainiac to her mother.

Kara would not let that happen.

She turned to the approaching crunching footsteps of the drone, determined to make a stand, and picked up a rock that she launched with all the might she could muster at the machine. The rock bounced uselessly off the metal menace. Behind that another drone was moving to back up the lead drone.

A smile of irony appeared on her face as for the last two years, all she had heard about was Krypton's fiercest enemies, the ‘Revanites’. Yet here she was about to be killed by a different enemy. The drone got to within five metres of her and stopped, raising it’s right arm, the cable with a menacing dart at the end of it primed.

“Prepare for assimilation,” its robotic voice recited.

Kara kept her eyes open, wanting to show defiance until the end.

Suddenly a movement to her left caught her attention, as something blurred and slammed into the head of the drone, a primitive knife sticking out its main sensor input, rendering the drone inactive. The same happened to the one following its comrade, with it also collapsing to the ground.

“Get to cover now!” A voice commanded from her left. She pivoted and ran the last few metres to cover, concentrating on not falling over. Suddenly, as she slid into cover behind a metal crate, an explosion rocked the bridge.

Debris rained down around her. The grenades. That was another two drones gone she hoped. Only two to go. She looked over at the two approaching drones, both running in her direction.

Whoever had appeared to help her needed to help a bit more, she thought, not knowing what to do against two drones. Suddenly a man, about the same age as her with black hair and dark obsidian eyes, slid up and crouched next to her offering a plain looking knife. “Hit the giant sensor on their head,” he instructed calmly in rough Kryptonian, a frown on his face.

She snatched the knife from him, deciding to trust him for now as he had just saved her life. The man stood quickly and threw another knife. Kara watched the knife implant into the shoulder of the drone on the right, which had moved at the last second to avoid meeting the same fate as its fellow drones. As he crouched back down, Kara gave him an unimpressed look, also noticing he had no more knives.

The man ignored her. “I’ll take the one lead drone, you take the other one,” he ordered. Whoever he was, he was used to doing things his way Kara thought, though she nodded at him in agreement.

The ever louder crunching footsteps of the drones told her they were nearly upon them.

He gestured for her to move away from the metal crate she was hiding behind and put his hands together, looking like he was about to push it. Kara watched curiously, wondering what he was going to do. Just as the drones came within a couple of metres, he somehow launched the crate into both of the drones.

Well, she now knew why he didn’t look like a Kryptonian. The rough Kryptonian also made sense now. He was a Revanite force user. One of those who had burned half of her people’s galaxy.

What was he doing here?

Kara shook herself into action as the man quickly advanced on their opponents, who were still recovering from being knocked over. The lead drone had taken the most damage, feeling the full force of the crate, and was knocked across the bridge. The man charged off to finish it.

As the closest drone started to rise, Kara rushed forward and lunged, filled by a strength she never knew she had. The knife buried itself into the primary sensor, instantly shutting down the drone, the light fading from its circuits. She looked up to where the man had gone, but her view was blocked by some debris that the explosion had caused. From behind the crate a blue light flashed and the sound of crackling electricity filled the air, it only lasted for a second, but Kara recognised the signs.

He was definitely a force user.

The man jogged back around the debris, nodding to her. He quickly retrieved his knives, even the one which had triggered the explosion, which surprised Kara by being undamaged.

Finally the man walked up to her, hand out, asking for the knife that she was still clutching with white knuckles.

He reached out for it.

Her grip tightened.

After a moment of silence in which he cocked his head at her, regarding her with those deep dark eyes, he spoke. “You can keep it.” The stranger’s voice was soft, trying to reassure her. It also held a warmth to it, like Kara could listen to it more.

His attention was then arrested by Brainiac’s mothership, making another ear screeching sound.

She could kill him, while he was distracted, drive this knife right into his neck. Avenge all the Kryptonians he had surely killed with one decisive action.

But he had saved her life, and she had never killed before. He had also made no move to harm her.

She hoped she wouldn’t regret this decision.

“We need to go,” he stated, turning back to her, oblivious to the thoughts running through her head.

“Who are you?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Taking a step into his personal space, she peered up at him. He was a couple inches taller than her, though not a large man by any imagination. The stranger’s face was adorned with a large faint scar on his right cheek. His handsome face was framed by a dark stubble along his sharp jawline.

Wait, handsome? Where had that come from she thought, abashed.

The man stepped back, uncomfortable with their close proximity. “Your mother sent me, I’m here to see you safely home,” he answered, dodging the question. He wore a look of frustration, like he couldn’t crack a certain puzzle.

She decided to let the question drop, he obviously wasn’t the talkative type. Plus, the longer they stayed there, the more likely they would be found by more drones. “Follow me,” she instructed while tucking the knife into her belt, not missing the surprise in the man's eyes at her actions. Ignoring the nervousness she felt when she turned her back to him, she started to make her way to her home. To her relief, he fell in behind her obediently, following her lead.

Rao was setting by the time they made it back to the house, the shadows chasing them. She could feel the man’s gaze bore into the back of her head the whole journey. Every time she turned to look at him, he just wore a confounded expression. Clearly, he was struggling with something. As they made their way to the front of the house, an eerie blue light lit up Argo city and painted the front of the house. They turned to see a blue light pulsating from the mothership.

The man grunted and staggered in pain which concerned her. He was holding his chest with a grimace stretched across his face. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and heavy. She stepped towards him, but he held out a hand to stop her, mumbling that he was fine. Kara could tell he obviously wasn’t, but before she could press further, her attention was taken back to the mothership.

Kara took a few steps forward, passing the man who only opened his eyes and watched her as she passed, to get a better view of it. She stopped when the blue light grew brighter. Then buildings began to disappear, streets with them. With every part of the city slowly being absorbed by the machine, the noise in the distance grew quieter and quieter. Tears started to fall down her face. Eventually, only a smoking crater remained where the once beautiful Argo City had stood.

A city.

Her city.

Her people.

All gone.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, squeezing softly. “I’m sorry,” came a pained but gentle voice from behind her.

She felt like something inside her shifted then, like something had just invaded her soul. It wasn’t foreign however. It felt natural, like she never knew it had been missing.

Realisation dawned on her then. She remembered what he had said as he touched her. She threw his hand off of her.

“What did you do?” She asked angrily, not knowing if she had just been betrayed or unaware of something else going on.

This was all a bad dream.

She wanted to wake up.

Before he could reply, someone called her name from the front door of her house. She looked past the man and saw her mother standing there, still the proper Kryptonian lady. The whole of Argo City has just disappeared and her mother seemed to not be affected.

“Kara, come quick, there something you must know.” she said urgently, waving for her to follow. She went to follow but was blocked when the young man gripped her arm. She readied herself for a fight, but all the man did was study her face, looking for something; his grip tight but not uncomfortable.

“When you wake up, I will find you. I swear it,” he said evenly, his eyes piercing their way to her soul. His face held no anger or hate, only sadness and regret.

He then let her go and moved past her, going to the balcony and looked over the smoking crater.

Kara ran to her mother and hugged her, still shaken and confused after the traumatising events of the last few hours. They held each other before her mother pulled her off. Kara saw her mother look at the man, who was still staring at the smoking crater.

“Revan,” she said.

Revan? Kara thought. _The_ Revan. The Revan who she had spent the last few months learning about?

Revan turned his head to face them.

The power, the efficiency and the unpredictability.

It all made sickening sense.

“Thank you,” was all Alura said. A loud sound of an engine surrounded them all of a sudden, but there was no ship.

Revan merely nodded at her mother and then right before her, he jumped over the railing into seemingly thin air before it engulfed him. The engine noise then roared off into the sky, leaving Krypton behind.

“That… was Revan. The man I’ve been told is the greatest enemy of Krypton. He… I don’t understand,” Kara thought aloud, still staring at the empty space where Revan had just been.

“Kara focus, we must hurry. Follow me, quickly. We don’t have much time.” And with that Kara followed her mother, trying to work out why the man who was supposedly Krypton’s greatest enemy… had just saved her life?


	3. Battle of Krypton

**Revan**

“The greatest sacrifices require the strongest of wills.”

Master Keira had taught him that saying. It was one of the first lessons she had ever taught him. Revan stood staring from the cockpit at his approaching capital ship which was nestled in what remained of his fleet and acknowledged the wisdom of those words.

He had had to choose between his friend or the Kryptonian people. The so-called friend who was planning to kill him. Deema had been monitoring the movements of Malak. He was busy, building alliances through bullying and intimidation, and as a consequence his power had grown.

His former friend now awaited to confront him, on the bridge of his ship. The anger and hatred coming from there allowed Revan to sense him.

The escape from Krypton's atmosphere had been close, their ship only narrowly escaping the cataclysm ripping through the planet. As soon as he had boarded the ship, he had staggered into the room where he had stored his equipment and collapsed, taking five minutes to compose himself.

Screams still rang around his head. Being so close to so much terror and death had thrown the force off balance, making it harder for Revan to focus properly. The cries of the Kryptonian people still permeated his thoughts. He had sworn never to see devastation like that happen to his people again. And yet, he had seen it done to his enemies. What scared him was that there was no difference in the force between what had happened here and what had caused him to start this crusade in the first place. It made him physically sick to think about it, to think that in the end the loss was just the same.

Strangely, Revan felt different to, his mind was jumbled like a hazy fog had descended on it. His emotions, not usually fully under his control at the best of times, were becoming harder to suppress. He hadn’t slept in a long time, and now fatigue was starting to take effect. There was only so much his body could take, even with the force supplementing him.

Another question ate at him. Had he done what was necessary with Kara? Revan hated questioning his own decisions, but it gnawed at him like a parasite. He also felt a foreign presence within him, which he guessed was probably his connection to the cursed Kryptonian. There was no way to hide that without hiding his aura which would make everyone suspicious of him. Nothing ever went to plan he thought angrily, feeling the urge to unleash his anger. Which he did, smashing a chair against the wall.

As Deema’s ship entered the hangar, Revan shook himself free of these thoughts, reining back his anger with deep breaths. After gathering himself, he went to retrieve his items from his storage box. They were all still there. He quickly changed back to his standard black robes and re-armed himself. He would miss the knife Kara had taken, but it was not a big loss physically, he could replace the knife. The problem was that that particular knife was the ‘Knife of the Heart’.

While he didn’t care that he had given it away, other people would. He could just leave the knives off, but the Mandalorians would see that as an insult to them and cowardice. They were an honoured treasure of theirs. Revan wouldn’t insult a people that had given so much to him and the war. Furthermore, he would let people talk, he was far past the point of caring.

What intrigued him more was why she had taken and then kept it? Kara was turning out to be quite the puzzle. Revan didn’t mind puzzles, but it still frustrated him.

As soon as he finished re-equipping his armour and weapons, he took one last look in the mirror, reciting his code, before placing the familiar mask on his face.

“Touch down.” Deema’s voice echoed through the ship as the spacecraft jolted to a landing. Revan just shook his head at the childish humour. Suddenly he sensed a familiar presence. One which was not supposed to be nearby, let alone on his ship. He left after doing one final check on his equipment, and then made his way to the landing ramp.

As he walked down the ramp, he saw whose presence he had sensed.

“Revan,” Meetra greeted angrily, ignoring his title. “What in the force were you thinking, going down there?” She stormed up to him, not even letting him get off the landing ramp. Soldiers and the ship's crew were moving hurriedly across the hangar, practising drills and doing last checks on the ship.

“I’m fine, General Meetra. I’ll explain it all on the bridge,” Revan replied calmly, reminding her of their current surroundings while he stepped off the ramp.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. “You should have told me,” she mumbled. “I should have been with you down there.”

A helmetless Captain Dec tore his attention away from her as he approached in his iconic heavy armour, coming to stand before Revan and then he snapped a salute. “Revan, while it’s good to see you back, you should not have gone down there with such little support,” greeted Dec not looking happy.

“I needed a small team to be able to achieve my mission. I understand your concerns, but the mission was time sensitive, Captain,” replied Revan, already tired of explaining this. He was just glad the Galactic Confederation Commandos, or the GCC’s for short, he had formed were away on their assigned missions. Their leader, a Zabrak called Hone, would not have been as cordial as the others.

The Commandos were fiercely loyal to Revan due to his personal training and oversight of their operations. Whilst they were excellent soldiers, their true strength lay in their teamwork. They worked in squads of four who were deployed on missions too dangerous, too critical to fail or were too far away from the main fleet. They were the last chance for important operations that required small teams.

Dec brought Revan’s mind back to the present as he continued with a grim look on his face. “Malak is awaiting you on the bridge. He has brought his apprentice ‘Darth’ Bandon and six of his Blood Guard.”

Revan knew of them. He had fought alongside them a few times. They were Malak's personal squad of force users, all fervently loyal to their master. The Blood Guard was full of dark side users who had no respect or control over their own power. They followed Malak as, unlike the other generals, he allowed them free rein in battle. Revan and the other generals didn’t have a problem with that, it’s what came after that they had a problem with.

Malak allowed his people to do what they wanted with their victims, something that Revan found abhorrent. It reminded him of a time where he was powerless to stop such a thing. Where he could, he would stop it, but he and the other generals couldn’t be everywhere all the time.

And though he loathed to admit it, the Bloodguard did have its uses. Their psychological impact in battle couldn’t be understated, their brutality usually breaking the morale of their opponents first. The fact they were on his ship, on his bridge, made it clear what Malak was planning.

Deema’s voice drew Revan from his musings as he dismissed the ‘Ghosts’. They nodded respectfully as they moved past Revan’s group, going to earn some well earned rest. Deema came down the ramp from behind Revan, having changed back into his usual trench coat. Before Revan could reply to Dec he nodded at the other two and spoke. “Alura was telling the truth, the data unlocked as soon as Kara’s ship left the system. The data on here, it’s extraordinary. It will take a while to sift through it. There are a couple of things in particular which you should see,” he reported. “Also, Kal El’s ship made it safely out of the system. However, Kara Zor-El’s ship was knocked off course…”

“She’s not dead, I would know if she was,” Revan interrupted, trusting the force. He had a feeling she was still alive.

“What in the force is going on? What were you doing meeting with a member of House El? Who is Kara Zor-El?” Meetra questioned skeptically, glancing down to his chest and seeing the hybrid knife missing.

“I’ll explain it all on the bridge, it’s a long story,” Revan assured her, already resenting the fact he had given his knife away. Already, he noticed a few people throwing glances to his chest, some with intrigue while others looked with suspicion.

“No doubt she’s alive, Kryptonians are too stubborn to die that easily.” All of them nodded in agreement with Deema’s statement, knowing the lengths to which Kryptonians fought to survive.

Meetra furrowed her brow as she thought about what to do. “We need a plan, we can’t risk this conflict spreading across the fleet. We need to deal with this now,” She summarised.

“I could do it quietly…” Deema suggested.

“No!” Both Meetra and Revan said dismissively.

“But...” Deema whined.

“No, I owe him this much,” Revan said finishing the debate. “I started him down this path, it’s my job to try and bring him back. I’ll go up there and speak with him. It’s the only way it doesn’t cause a rift between everyone in the fleet.”

Meetra and Dec reluctantly agreed, while Deema just stood expressionless. Malak, while known to be brutal and bloodthirsty, still commanded a lot of respect among the task force. Revan turned and began to make his way to the bridge, the other three falling in behind him without question.

Deema confidently strode next to him before he motioned to the empty sheath on his chest, with a raised brow and a smirk.

“Not a word,” was all Revan said before Deema fell back, apparently satisfied with that. Fortunately, before Deema could come back and torment him further, Meetra came up on his left, keeping up with his brisk pace as they wound their way through the ship’s busy halls and corridors.

“Your force signature is different Revan,” Meetra commented, trying to fish for any information.

“As I said, I’ll explain all on the bridge,” Revan repeated. As they reached the lift, he formulated the plan. Upon entering, he stood at the front, with Meetra and Dec to his left and right, with Deema standing behind him.

He started issuing orders to Dec “Get three squads of soldiers whose loyalty is beyond a doubt together. Tell them to hold each entrance to the bridge. They are to hold their position until I order them otherwise. If I fall...” Revan paused, letting the possibility sink in. “They are to sweep the bridge, killing all of Malak’s men and Malak himself.”

Revan would not let his mistake cost the rest of the fleet their lives.

Dec nodded and began relaying the orders to his soldiers through his comm link.

“You're too annoying to die now,” said Deema seriously. Revan just shook his head. Dec had a hint of a smile on his face.

“How ironic,” commented Meetra.

“I’m just saying. Who would order us around without Revan?” Deema said, waving his arms around dramatically.

“Do you ever shut up?” questioned Meetra.

“Only if ordered,” replied Deema smoothly.

All three turned and looked at him with disbelieving looks. Well, as sceptical as Revan’s mask could look. Deema just gave them his best innocent look.

The lift came to a halt allowing them to step out into the corridor, which acted as the spine of the ship, leading to the bridge. The crew were going about their duties as usual, not knowing about or ignoring the storm gathering on the bridge. They paid the group little attention, though usually nodding in respect as they hurried past.

As he approached the bridge, Revan saw the three teams of soldiers standing outside ready to go. The soldiers snapped smart salutes at Revan. Whereas Malak's men followed through fear and intimidation, Revan’s followers were fervently loyal to him as they believed in him. He ate, trained and bled with them. He saved their lives and they saved his.

Revan addressed the three teams, “Maintain your position at the three entrances. Kill any of Malak’s men who walk out any door. If I die, you are to storm the bridge and neutralise all hostile combatants. Clear?”

“Yes, General Revan!” the three leaders of the squads acknowledged, and then with their squads, went to take up their positions. Revan turned to his friends.

“No matter what happens in there, do not try to get between me and Malak.” All but Deema, who just looked bored, nodded in understanding.

Revan decided that was probably the best he was going to get from Deema and turned on his heel and entered the bridge.

The door closed with a hiss behind them as the four of them marched onto the bridge. Revan’s mind was working in hyperdrive, taking note of everyone in the room. Two of Malak’s Blood Guard stood with Grand Admiral Ruitika in the centre of the room. Another two guarded both entrances to the viewing deck and the last two stood with Malak and his apprentice Bandon.

To Revan’s right and left were four bridge security guards in their heavy plasteel armour, watching through their emotionless helmets. Through the force, Revan could feel their apprehension, their tension. Revan didn’t blame them, he felt those things himself.

Revan and his group made their way to the centre of the room, where Grand Admiral Ruitika stood looking at the holo table with two of Malak’s guards just behind, hate evident in their gazes as they looked upon the female Twi’lek. Another negative thing that the Blood Guard was known for was their xenophobia, and so they disliked any alien with power and authority.

Up on the viewing deck, Malak caught Revan’s attention as he dismissed his two accompanying guards and sent them to join their fellow soldiers at the centre of the spacious room.

“Revan,” Malak greeted, his voice echoing around causing the bridge to go quiet. Ignoring Malak’s charade of power, Revan signalled for his friends to stay put and then walked straight past the two guards, who both tensed as he went by. Revan stormed past the other guard at the bottom of the ramp with the same effect, taking the left ramp to meet Malak at the top of the viewing deck. The guards dismissed by Malak passed him on the ramp both with hate and fear simmering in their faces.

Malak had probably told them what he thought had transpired on Krypton. It was funny how words even by those who weren’t the most eloquent could cause such emotion, such passion, such hate.

Bandon moved a couple of steps back as Revan came to stand next to Malak, both staring at the husk of Krypton. “What happened down there? And why did you go down there?” Malak growled, forgoing any formalities or greeting.

Revan considered his answer carefully, though he was already in no mood for this. Who was Malak to question him? He tried to keep calm, knowing a wrong answer could send the entire room into conflict.

“Alura El, a Kryptonian scientist, contacted me.” Revan did not miss Malak’s brow twitch at the mention of the Kryptonian. “She offered me a trade. All Kryptonian weapon research projects and information on Brainiac in exchange for the safe passage of Kal El, her new-born nephew, and Kara Zor-El, her eighteen year old daughter,” Revan said evenly. His voice nor his mask gave anything away, though he spoke loud enough for the entire bridge to hear. If Malak wanted a spectacle, he would get one.

Malak shook his head, his anger radiating off him. “You spared two of them, two of the scum that murdered our people, OUR friends. And to make it worse, it was two of House El’s, those that tortured and killed thousands of our men.”

The only sound on the bridge was the whirring of machines.

“I began this fight to protect our people, all of them. Not just for our friends, not to settle a score and certainly not to commit genocide.” Revan said with force.

He would not become a monster.

He would not let them win.

“We both knew it was only going to end with us or them dead. And YOU just gave them the ability to strike back.”

“If you are scared of an infant and a barely adult girl then you are not the Alek I knew,” Revan said dismissively.

Malak’s face twitched at his original name. “Don’t… call me that,” Malak seethed.

“Why? Does it hurt to remember who you were before?” Revan taunted, his emotions were becoming increasingly harder to rein in.

Malak laughed mirthlessly, though the distant look in his eyes betrayed him. “They took everything away from me, everything. I swore I would kill them all for what they did. And you’ve stood in my way, again. Like you do every time.” Malak then smiled to himself, “You know as well as I do that to look at yourself in a mirror is to not recognise who we were.”

Revan silently agreed, knowing the feeling all too well. He stood still looking out the giant viewing port. “What do you see?” he asked Malak, changing the subject, nodding to what was left of Krypton.

“You and your riddles Revan. You always think you're so smart,” Malak said rolling his eyes. Revan continued ignoring the interruption. “That is all that is left of the Kryptonians. They will threaten no more. The two left will be no threat.”

“Don’t lecture me like a child Revan. You may think you are all knowing and all powerful, but you are still a child. Remember that,” he snarled. The silence on the bridge was deafening. Revan couldn’t stand Malak’s arrogance any longer.

“You are the child, Malak. You walk around as if you’re the only one to have suffered at their hands. Everyone here has suffered, yet they continue to live, not letting it control them. It is over now Malak, they are gone.” Revans hands started to shake in anger at his sides, remembering the void that started this and the one that finished it.

“The feeling in the force Malak, they were the same!” Revan's voice rose. He could feel himself losing control of his emotions. “Their cries, their pleas and their deaths were no different from our people’s. We went to war to stop this, not to recreate it. We are not monsters!” Revan finished passionately, breathing heavily behind the mask.

Malak just stood in silence. Revan knew he had felt it to, only a true monster could numb himself to that much death.

“Death is part of war Revan, you told us all that. Just because you’re finally feeling guilty for what you done doesn’t mean it was wrong. It was necessary,” Malak sneered.

Revan shook his head, frustration bleeding through his body. It was no use. Malak was so caught up in his own anger and hate that he couldn’t see the truth. That they had become the very thing they had sworn to destroy.

With anger permeating every fibre of his body, Revan couldn’t trust himself to look at Malak without attacking him. “If you have finally finished...” he spat, his patience wearing thin. “Then get... off… my... ship,” his voice sending a chill down the spines of everyone on the bridge.

All except one.

“Your aura… it’s different, why?” Malak’s sickly yellow eyes turned to bore into Revan's mask with an intense inquisitive stare.

Revan had a feeling Malak already knew the answer. There were those with force bonds in the fleet already, and so anyone who knew their force signatures would know Revan had one.

“There were complications,” Revan said, returning Malak’s stare.

“Such as?” Malak asked, his voice grating Revan’s ear drums.

“I had to force bond with Kara Zor-El as a precaution.”

Machine whirring and the crew going to and fro were all that filled the void that statement left. The bridge, to Revan’s amazement, somehow managed to become quieter, building the tension in the room to uncomfortable levels. Revan refused to let it affect him.

“Are you serious?” cried Meetra, down from the main deck breaking the silence that had descended upon the bridge. Even Dec looked surprised and to his right Deema just facepalmed. The four guards with them bristled at the movement.

“She was immune to the force, it was not part of her. I had never seen anything like it,” Revan explained slowly, trying to understand it himself.

“And you let her live?” shouted Malak, looking down on Revan like a disappointed master.

“It was the only way to get the data. The data that Alura had would only be unlocked when Kara and her cousin had both left Kryptonian space.” Revan retorted.

“First names now, how cute,” seethed Malak, his eyes glowing a more intense molten gold than before. “Your knife, the middle one, it is missing. Who has it?” Malak asked, catching Revan off guard with the change in subject, glancing down at Revan’s chest.

Revan could so easily lie, say it was lost in a fight down there. But Revan knew any deceit detected would throw this precarious situation sideways. He wasn’t Deema, he was bad at lying to his friends, to anyone really. The darkness inside of him did not care anyway. Malak wasn’t stupid enough to challenge him in open combat, this was a charade and nothing more.

“Kara Zor-El,” said Revan angrily, knowing what Malak was inferring.

“You created a force bond between the two of you and you gave away the Knife of the Heart to her. She must be quite special,” Malak said mockingly. “Was Alura even telling the truth? Or was the mighty Revan led astray by a pretty face?” continued Malak starting to yell, even though he was standing next to Revan.

“Yes,” interrupted Deema from down below, “to the first question. I don’t know about the second one though.” Deema performed an overly thoughtful gesture, stroking his clean shaven chin.

“Shut up Imperial scum!” screamed Bandon from behind Revan. He had hated Deema since he had first met him. To be fair to him, Deema had embarrassed him by tripping him up in front of the entire Council after Bandon called him an imperial dog.

Deema just rolled his eyes, “Did you come up with that yourself, or did Mummy Malak teach you to say that?” mocked Deema, not helping the situation.

Bandon reached out with the force to choke Deema, but was suddenly made aware of a violet blade humming precariously close to his neck.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Revan warned, his gaze securely fastened to the nervous man in front of him. Nervous men did stupid things.

“Are you threatening my apprentice?” Malak asked slowly, his gaze flickered from Revan to Bandon and back to Revan.

“Yes,” This would now go one of two ways, Malak attacks or he relents. When has Malak ever relented Revan thought to himself. Revan prayed to anyone or anything that would listen that this time would be different.

Sadly, just as Revan had thought, Malak in turn drew his lightsaber and ignited it, bathing himself in it’s reddish glow.

Revan, without removing his lightsaber from Brandon’s throat, turned to Malak with a simple order. “Don’t.”

“This ends here Revan. You led us to near total victory, but at the last second you failed us. Weakness like that is a plague. I cannot allow it to spread. It will lose us the war to come.”

Malak started to draw upon the force, a sure sign that he was preparing to actually attack Revan.

“I should have been leading this operation from the start...ME, Not you. You were always too soft, too careful. I will not live in your shadow any longer. Only I can lead us home!” roared Malak.

“Malak …” Revan started, but stopped as he saw Malak approach him. Seeing no other option, Revan force pushed Bandon off the viewing deck and down to the bridge, who then landed with an unceremonious thud behind Malak's men.

The two men met in the centre of the bridge; violet and red blades clashed in front of the ghost of Krypton.

The fight was a battle of two techniques, two minds and two ideals. Revan was graceful and mobile, his purple lightsaber a brush and the air around him a canvas, defending and dodging Malak's vicious strikes. He kept trying to find a way of ending this peacefully, but his emotions kept him from thinking clearly. Whatever he had done with the force bond, it had messed up his mind deeply. He had established a more intense bond than he had ever thought possible.

On the other hand, Malak was like a rancor, methodical and powerful, the strength of his blows enhanced by his resentment. His attacks were trying to obliterate his opponent in one hit. He truly believed he needed this, a life free from Revan and his shadow, Revan saw that in his eyes. To him, Revan had become too weak and would only lead the task force to their demise, something which Revan knew anyone only had to look at his few remaining friends and see the death that he had left in his wake. These thoughts were nothing new to Revan. They visited every time he had a moments peace.

Where Malak fought with anger, Revan fought with intelligence. Revan knew he could not win this fight through shear strength with one lightsaber and so settled into the rhythm of the fight, using his battle precognition, and hoped he could outlast Malak.

They traded blows for a while before Revan felt a sudden warning in the force from behind him. Yet, Malak had him pinned in with repeatedly strong swings, not allowing him time to dodge or deflect it.

Just as he had prepared himself to take the hit, he felt a presence behind him and the snap of a familiar lightsaber, one that had been there beside him so many times over the years.

“You whore, doesn’t it hurt that Revan chose a Kryptonian bitch over you?” Revan heard Bandon scream in frustration from behind him.

Revan’s anger flared and he unleashed a mighty force push, sending Malak flying back.

Yet, his anger wasn’t directed at Malak, and he turned and bore down upon Bandon, who looked like he had just wet himself.

As he went to move past Meetra, her blue blade rose to block him off.

“He is mine,” she said determinedly.

“You don’t have to get involved, this is my fight,” Revan replied, staring at Bandon in front of him. He was conscious however that Malak was getting up now.

“Get out of the way, Surik, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt,” he taunted, smiling cruelly.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Meetra snarled, her dislike of Bandon shining through. With one final nod to Revan, she then leapt at Malak’s apprentice.

Revan knew both of their fighting styles. Meetra fought conservatively, and would punish every mistake Bandon made. Bandon however would fight like a rabid animal and so would make up for the lack of quality of his attacks by the quantity of them.

“Meetra, you traitor!” Malak shouted as he launched himself at Revan, betrayal evident in his voice.

Sensing Malak's incoming lunge, Revan turned and deflected the blow before punching Malak in the face, sending him stumbling back, yet Malak came at him again and again, each attack as ferocious as the last.

After a few minutes of trading blows with Malak, Revan was being pushed to his extremes. On a particularly vicious strike, Malak broke through Revan’s guard and sliced him down through his chest. Revan jumped back, stumbling while looking at his burnt chest, the white flash of pain overwhelmed his senses. He breathed deeply, trying to use the pain as a focusing point. His senses were hyperactive, screaming at him to annihilate Malak using the force. He shook his head free of these thoughts, he had to get control of his emotions otherwise, this fight would end badly.

“Come on Revan, most feared force user, is that all you’ve got? COME ON YOU COWARD, FIGHT ME!” Malak roared and swung his lightsaber in front of him, creating sparks.

In response Revan switched his lightsaber to his left hand and summoned his second lightsaber and ignited the blade, the red blade humming to life.

“You insult Caleamar’s memory by trying to use two sabers. After all, it was your plan that sent him to his death.” Revan gritted his teeth, calling on the force to supplement his failing body. Fatigue would decide this fight as much anything else. Reinvigorated by the force, he leapt at Malak again.

This time the battle was a lot more frantic, with Revan going on the offensive. His swings increased in strength and accuracy and the longer the fight went on, the more Revan grew in power. Yet, he started to lose control of his emotions. He was fighting dangerously and he knew it.

Below him, Revan noticed that Deema had had enough of standing around, and was currently engaged in combat against two of the guards with a third dead on the floor already. Well, calling it a fight wasn’t really fair. While Deema wasn’t the best fighter in a fair fight, he never fought fairly. Cloaking technology, poisons and toxins and dirty tricks all resulted in a frustrating battle for his opponents. Only the most disciplined opponents would be able to stay focused against him, and the Blood Guard were anything but disciplined.

A blaster shot also signalled that Dec had joined the fight, and Revan pitied those unfortunate enough to fight him. If there was one opponent Revan would hate to fight, it would be him. The man never gave up, never gave in. No matter the odds, no matter what condition he was in, he would fight and fight to win.

The Blood Guard fighting Dec were finding that out for themselves now, as Revan glanced down to where some of them were located. They all knew him, they all feared him. One was already dead, a blaster shot planted in the middle of his forehead while the others had been caught in the one place you never, ever wanted to be with Dec. Up close and personal.

“Your friends will die because of you once again. They are nothing compared to my Blood Guard. Two of them do not even have the force and yet you still keep them with you. How pathetic,” Malak taunted as their lightsabers clashed over and over again.

Revan didn’t bother to reply, not wanting to waste his breath. He trusted his allies, and they trusted him. He also called on the force to aid his friends, making them faster and stronger. Even if one of them died, it would be his fault. He didn’t want to lose anyone else.

Failure was not an option.

With the battle spreading across the bridge, it did not surprise Revan to see that the bridge guards had drawn their weapons. Thankfully, they did not engage either side as Revan figured that they did not want to interfere with the power struggle developing before them. Instead they shielded the crew as the battles raged on, escorting them out of the bridge. The crew would head to their secondary stations across the ship, though some of them looked on in disappointment as they walked away, annoyed that they would not be able to finish watching the very visceral show.

The fighting continued, and from Revan’s vantage point on the viewing deck when he wasn’t focusing on Malak, it was going well for everyone else. Dec was finishing off his last opponent while Deema was standing over three corpses, all with tiny cuts inflicted on them which seeped a sickly green puss.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meetra do a particularly graceful riposte and disarm Bandon by cutting off his sword hand, before she sent him flying back down to the bridge below.

He saw Meetra nod to someone, and even Malak backed off, confused as he watched the scene below.

Looking that way, Revan saw Grand Admiral Ruitika had her hand hovering over her blaster as she looked down upon the exhausted form of Bandon.

The man at her feet had tried to make her his slave when Revan’s forces had freed her from pirates just before they had set off for the Kryptonians galaxy. Only Revan’s timely arrival and subsequent intervention of force choking Bandon to within an inch of his life, stopped that nightmare.

Without hesitation she pulled out her officer pistol.

“You twi’lek…”

A single blaster shot echoed around the bridge.

Revan turned back to Malak, who just looked more angry. “You’ve lost Malak, your men are dead. Yield and I will spare your life,” Revan snarled, pointing one of his lightsabers at Malak.

“They were weak, I expected so much more from them. But I cannot be in your shadow any longer. I won’t be weak. Not again. Once I kill you, the others will fall in behind me,” Malak said, not caring how delusional he sounded.

Revan knew that would never happen. Malak was too divisive a character for everyone to follow. Plus, if Deema escaped, Malak would be found dead the following day. And that would only be if, and a big if at that, Malak could overcome Meetra and Dec.

But Revan wouldn’t let anything like that happen.

Malak was his fault, his responsibility.

Behind him, he heard Meetra and Deema arguing, though he paid them no attention.

It was just him and Malak now. Fortunately due to that interruption, Revan had been able to heal some of his wounds. It wasn’t honourable, but Revan didn’t care. He could not lose this fight.

So many people relied on him.

They had for the last two years.

He would not fail them now.

With adrenaline roaring through his body, he charged at Malak.

As Revan launched strike after strike, his blood thundered in his ears. Every swing of his blades was taking more and more effort. He was however starting to see cracks in Malak's guard. Malak used to be the best duellist he had known, but easy fights and a focus on brutality had let complacency settle in.

Revan could feel his control slipping away from him. With every opening Malak left, Revan exploited it with brutal efficiency. A slice across Malak's thigh added to the light slash across his stomach and deep cut in his right bicep. The force was guiding his weapons. He was barely keeping it together; fatigue and the events of the day making his control little to nothing. He was fighting like a machine.

After nearly getting overwhelmed, Malak went for a final overhead swing, attempting to cleave Revan in half. Revan in turn crossed his blades in front of him and intercepted Malak's deadly strike. As their blades locked with the lightsabers grinding against each other causing painful scraping noises, Malak grinned tiredly, the light of the sabres illuminating his face in a red and magenta hue.

“You started this war, for what? For justice? To protect people? No, no, do not lie to yourself Revan. It was for one dead woman!” Malak mocked, holding his ground, his lightsaber pinning Revan in place, forcing Revan to hear him.

“She would be disappointed with the man you have become. You stood there and did nothing today, allowing others to suffer what she suffered, because you were too WEAK!” Revan forced Malak's lightsaber upwards with his left sabre and then with his free lightsabre, cut Malak's right hand off. His anger and hate fuelling his strength and clouding his mind.

Malak stumbled back, grunting in pain, smiling almost proudly at him, sensing the darkness take hold behind the mask.

“You stand there now as weak as you were the day you let her die. Her death is on you Revan, as are all our friends,” ridiculed Malak, who with one last effort summoned his lightsaber to his remaining hand and force leapt at Revan in one final suicidal attack.

Revan blocked the lunge with one blade, taking Malak's blade just a hair's breadth away to his right, and with a primal roar of rage, buried the other blade hilt deep into the stomach of Malak.

Silence swept over the bridge.

All Revan could hear was his heavy breathing, enclosed in the mask.

He blinked as if awakening from a dream.

Malak’s face was inches from his, a look of confusion plastered on it.

All Revan could smell was burned flesh, his and Malak's.

His lightsabers felt heavy. Somewhere he heard a shout.

He pulled his lightsaber out of Malak and switched them off, letting Malak slowly drop to the floor. Malak tried to laugh as he collapsed but a hacking cough overtook him. He looked at Revan standing over him like the looming spectre of death himself.

“You will always be fighting another’s war Revan, you just can’t help yourself. You’re too good,” he croaked, blood started spilling from his mouth. Revan just stood there speechless, Malak's words echoing in his head.

Meetra, who was being followed by the others, rushed past him and knelt over Malak and propped him up.

“Malak you big pile of bantha crap, why? Why?” Tears rolled down her face as she held him. Malak just looked up at her and struggled to say,

“Remember your promise...” his eyes faded, and a look of peace that Revan had not seen on Malak for a long time settled on his face.

Revan dropped both of his lightsabers, and fell to his knees.

He had killed Malak. His friend. His Brother.

He had failed in his promise to protect them. Caleamar was dead. Malak was now dead.

All for the survival of another race.

The enemy.

This war had changed so much. Revan wanted to scream. He didn’t recognise himself anymore. He thought he had begun this fight to save the ones he loved, and all he had done was got them killed, indirectly and directly.

His entire body was numb.

“Don’t do that Revan,” Meetra commanded, her eyes shining with freshly shed tears. “I loved Alek just as much as you, but that was not our friend in the end. He died when Zod took him.”

Revan stayed still, his emotions churning within him. “He wasn’t the first, he won’t be the last. I…I…” He then reached over and closed Malak’s lifeless eyes, his hands shaking. Revan thought he was used to death, that he had made himself numb to it.

But this was different.

“You can’t blame yourself, not for this,” Deema said as he crouched down next to Revan, examining Malak’s corpse with indifference. “We still have a war to win back home. Don’t lose sight of that Revan. These people still need you.”

Dec did not say anything, he just came over and placed a hand on Revan’s shoulder.

Revan took a breath as he tried to regain control of himself. He stood up, forcing himself to become the military leader once again, pushing his emotions and dark thoughts down. For now.

“Get the rest of the fleet ready to move,” Revan called out to the Grand Admiral. “We have an invasion to prepare. Grand Admiral Ruitika, contact the Praxic Station and inform them of our return. Captain Dec, assemble Malak's forces in the main hangar with the rest of his Blood Guard. I have an offer to make them. Cypher, I want a sitrep of the situation back in our galaxy.” He then turned to the remains of Krypton, hearing all but Meetra and Deema leaving the bridge.

“I don’t...” Revan began, looking down at Meetra.

“Save it Revan. Let these moments be of peace,” Meetra interrupted quietly, her voice thick with emotion. She was still cradling Malak’s broken and bloody body.

Revan gave a small nod in acceptance before gazing at the husk of a former great planet.

All that Revan could think of was whether the sacrifices his friends and followers had made been worth it? For it all to result in this. Had his sacrifices been worth it?

** A few galactic standard days later**

Revan was standing on the viewing platform, now watching the Praxic Station come closer and closer. He had been in his private quarters for most of the last few days, recovering from the events on and above Krypton. Meetra, Dec and Ruitika had all made attempts to see him, which Revan had denied. He couldn't let his people see what a mess he had been. Revan was their leader, and leaders could not show weakness. Not for a second. Canderous had taught him that.

The only person he had seen was Deema. He had seen Revan when he had dragged him out of the Rao research station. The anger, the hate and the suffering. Deema knew how to handle him, even in those dark times. There were gaps in his memory of those days, most likely due to his sub-consciousness forcing him to forget what happened in those terrible times.

And it all happened again after Krypton.

After his meeting with Malak's forces where he offered them a choice: to avenge their commander by duelling him there, an honourable discharge and they would leave the force when they returned to the galaxy or finally a transfer to another force under a different general. Most took the transfer, while five of the remaining Blood Guard had challenged him.

They were slaughtered, like animals, by Revan. None of them were innocent, especially in the Blood Guard. But they were still his people. Plus, no one in the entire task force was innocent, especially him. Deema had reminded him that it also solved the problem of what to do with them when they returned to their own galaxy. Unlike fighting in the Kryptonian galaxy, they would have to win the people over to their side as well, something the Blood Guard would have hindered.

The last thing he remembered was walking into his private quarters and locking the door. After that it was unclear, an hour of darkness for every minute of consciousness. He came round completely two days later, his knuckles broken and his room looking like an orbital bombardment had targeted it.

But Revan had to focus on the here and now, not the past. ‘Another galaxy, another war’, he thought. The Galactic Confederation would not be happy to see Revan’s forces return. They would most likely claim them to be under the control of the Kryptonians and pronounce them traitors, causing a war in the very galaxy Revan’s forces had tried to save. Malak’s last words still haunted him. Revan had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last war he would face.

The ghosts of his friends still weighed on his conscience. Caleamar, Kira, Wilson and Alek, plus the countless others who had perished under his command. He would not let their deaths be in vain.

They were his people.

They were his responsibility.

Deema startled Revan out of his reflection by appearing next to him. Revan never knew how Deema could sneak up on him nearly every time. For a non force user, he could hide his force presence extremely effectively.

He nodded at him and for a second, he thought he saw a hint of a genuine smile on Deema’s face. But as quick as the smile was there, it was gone. It reminded Revan that under the guise of the infamous Cypher and the smartass Deema, there was still a man underneath.

“Always impressive isn’t it. The might of Kryptonian engineering plus our own,” Deema said, marvelling at the giant space station. The space station had a Kryptonian centre, which was evidenced by the crystal like shape, while the outer parts were more industrial looking. “What we could have achieved if they weren’t so hellbent on wiping us all out,” he said with a sigh. The space station gave a clear warning to all - _We took on the Kryptonians and won. Don’t make the same mistake._

“Take a look at this,” Deema interrupted Revan’s thoughts, as he so often did, and handed him a data pad. “The Kryptonian data we received from Alura and some information I found in her data stores in her house,” Deema explained. “You were right, Kara Zor-El is not a normal Kryptonian.”

Revan studied the data, his eyes devouring the information hungrily. A few minutes passed as he continued reading. This was interesting. He cocked his head as he finished reading, in deep contemplation. It confirmed what Deema had told him when he had rescued him from the Rao Research Station. Alura was fiercely patriotic and determined to protect Krypton. His fist clenched in anger, lightning curling around it.

“Her own daughter, how could she do that to her?” He wondered. Yet, she had manipulated him so easily, it wasn’t out of the question that she would do that to her own daughter.

“In her mind it was the only way to protect Kara and Krypton. She loved her daughter more than anything, we both saw that. It also looked like the Kryptonian military meddled in the operation, though I’m not sure to what extent, but Alura must have stayed as the development leader to protect Kara.”

“All that pain and sacrifice just to lose it all anyway. What a pointless endeavour.” Revan said bitterly, though he did feel a small sense of satisfaction at Alura failing.

“Not pointless. Both parents protected their daughter. One was instrumental in getting the Sunstone fleet dismantled, protecting her future, while the other secured her safe passage. That was their mission and they succeeded. They knew the cost.”

“All that for one girl?” Revan asked.

“She has, or rather had, the power to completely wipe us out. A Kryptonian immune and undetectable to the force. In power alone, she would have been more than your equal.”

Revan continued reading.

“She was being trained to fight me, to learn our ways and then use that knowledge to defeat me. Kara was being trained as a solution to me,” Revan exclaimed, as he started to see why Kara had been so important to Alura.

“They didn’t get far into training, only a few months. By the indications on the reports, they hadn’t even told Kara what it was all for. If someone learned of her power and finished her training, even just a month before we got to them, she would have been a dangerous enemy.” Deema summarised, not liking that scenario one bit.

Revan nodded in agreement. Deema was a control freak and so hated it when things got out of his control. It’s what made him an excellent spymaster.

“Well, with Kara’s ship knocked off course, it could be some time before she awakes. However, that still leaves the issue of her cousin, Kal El,” Deema stated thoughtfully.

“I think I have an idea for that,” said Revan slowly and then explained his plan. “I hate to say it, but it could work. Deep cover, masterful disguises and minimal presence. Perfect for him, though he would have to be restricted from killing unless absolutely necessary,” Deema added, slightly impressed. He then became lost in thought. “Can he even function that long, that far away on an inferior technological world? Actually ignore that, he would continue eradicating meat bags until the last of power left his circuits.” Deema smiled at the thought.

“Well it’s agreed.” Revan’s voice brought Deema back from his daydreaming. He then pressed the comm link in his mask. “HK, I have a mission for you.”

**30 years later **

The team surveyed the crashed Kryptonian pod in the pleasant summer sun. They couldn’t believe it. Superman was supposed to be the last Kryptonian. And yet, another Kryptonian pod similar to his had crashed merely a few minutes ago.

Suddenly, a hatch opened on the space capsule and out stumbled a young blonde haired woman, her crystal blue eyes looking confused and lost.

She immediately took in her surroundings, though every sense was overwhelming. Humanoid shapes were around her and so she drew the knife from her belt, and noticed a slight wave of apprehension wash over some of their faces. The forms around her were confusing. A man dressed like some kind of animal, a dark skinned man with a green suit and a glowing green ring and strong woman wearing some kind of ancient armour.

Finally, a man came towards her wearing her family crest of the house of El holding his hands up standing in front of the others. She started to repeat what the voice had said in her dreams before she awoke from cryostasis. Her eyes were glued to the man wearing her family’s crest, and she kept saying the words like a chant.

Or a warning.

“What is she saying?” asked the woman with a concerned look on her face.

The man carrying her family's crest turned to the others,

“Revan is coming.”


	4. Orbit

**Kara**

  
  


A week had passed since her sudden arrival on planet Earth. Yet so far she had spent so little of her time on it. She gazed at the terrestrial planet through the window of her room from her bed, thinking back to the day she had landed. After the initial exchange, the man who had called himself Kal El (her cousin apparently) had escorted her to a space station he called ‘The Watchtower’. There, they had proceeded to give her the outfit she was currently wearing; an all white bodysuit with her house’s emblem embroidered in red on it. It was a bit uncomfortable, but one handy feature of the body suit was a strap around the waist, into which she had slipped into the knife that she had taken from Revan. She put that thought to the back of her mind as it made her think of her last day on Krypton. 

Kal El had sat her down in a large room with just the two of them. Though, if the cameras were any indication, others were watching. He had slowly begun with what happened to him and how he had arrived on Earth. That was when the first bombshell dropped. Kal El had been here for thirty five years. 

It certainly explained why he looked so different to when she had last seen him as a baby.

Kara didn’t hear what he said next, she just sat there trying to come to terms with the fact she had missed thirty five years.

Thirty five years.

She felt bile rise up in her throat, tears threatened to spill down her face. Her mind was stunned by this revelation.

The next time she heard Kal spoke he said something about powers. A yellow sun.

A yellow sun.

The overwhelming sights and smells had made sense then. The sun was charging her Kryptonian cells. She had read about Kryptonian yellow sun warriors back … back on Krypton. They were heroes who took the most dangerous and daring of missions using their powers to great effect. Yet she remembered the few that were sent after Revan’s forces had never returned, and when the government was asked about them, they just stated they were away fighting for the glory of Krypton.

She would become that powerful. 

Kal had interrupted her thoughts, calling her name, and said that she would be staying on the station for a couple of weeks, just to run some tests on her and to decide what would be best for her future. He told her that although some parts of this world could be ugly, there were always beauty and peace to be found on this world like no other. He described his home with the Kent family in vivid detail; the barn in which his escape pod had been hidden, the beautiful poppies which adorned the right side of the front of the house and how they brightened his day upon seeing them. The look of happiness on his face describing the home and his new found family almost made her feel happy too. Almost.

Over the last two weeks, other than the tests, Kara was left alone in her room. She had learnt the prevalent language that the League spoke, which was called English. Though it was complex, with silly rules, she had learnt it quickly. After the first week she had stopped slipping back into Kryptonian. She was comfortable speaking it now and was also learning how to write it. The Kryptonian alphabet had more complex looking letters but was quite similar, so it wasn't too much of a hassle to learn it.

The room the Justice League had given her was pretty drab compared to her old bedroom, with only a small bed with a metal dresser next to it, a desk with an Earth computer on it and an ensuite bathroom. The only way to pass the time was to read about Earth on the computer. She struggled with concentrating for long periods of time on the computer as her mind always drifted back wistfully to Krypton. Furthermore, instead of sitting in the same boring room, she wanted to go out and meet these new people and not just read about them.

Though, when her mind did drift back to Krypton, it always wandered to the traumatic last day of her planet. It felt like yesterday. 

The death. 

The devastation.

Her father.

Her mother

She wished they had lived. Back on Krypton, even through their distance, she had felt their love. And now that was gone. Like her home. Like her people. The void had only grown inside of her.

And this all happened thirty five years ago. Sometimes, Kara thought that she should have died alongside her parents. It would have happened too, if Revan had not interfered and saved her life. She didn't understand why an enemy of her people had saved her. In those darker moments, Kara wished he had let her die. 

Trying to leave those dark thoughts behind, Kara thought of the people she had met since awakening. Other than Kal El, she had met; Diana, a princess of the warrior people called the Amazons, Batman, a human vigilante who dressed like a bat and a Martian called J’onn J’onzz. While Diana and J’onn had offered their identities, Batman hadn’t. The man unnerved her. He made virtually no sound, not even his beating heart gave him away.

All the tests they had done said she was perfectly fine. The tests had confirmed that Kal El was her cousin, for which she was thankful. Only one thing had stumped them; Kara had aged two years during the cryostasis. When she looked in the mirror, she only noticed a couple of differences; her hair had grown longer than it was on Krypton, now going past her shoulders and her face had finally lost the childishness that it had still held when she was eighteen. The thing that confounded her and the League was that the two years did not correlate with anything that happened in the data logs of the pod. Kal had reassured her that it wasn’t a bad thing, but it was just unusual. However, he had failed to put her mind at ease.

The League had also asked her to take mental assessments, though Kara had tried to refuse to take them. The ‘Justice League’ had treated her well, but she did not want anyone to try to get into her head. To let someone in would be to go through that fateful day again. And while she wanted to trust them, it was too soon. In the end the League had carried out limited tests that were not too invasive. The tests had showed her mentally capable, though she did not make it easy for J’onn to assess her. To Kara, all the League had done was take her for tests and then lock her in this boring room.

She had started to use her powers as well, though not to much effect. Her X-ray vision was hard to use and brought on a splitting headache. Her strength was improving slowly, though it was hard to judge, as she did not have access to anything to test her strength. A cup had met its end by her though, which had happened accidentally when they had tried to ask what had happened on the last day she remembered. They hadn't asked since. It was taking a while to get used to these new powers. Sometimes it was noting something small, like a prominent bit of dust on her desk that stuck out, which she would never have seen before. Other times it was when she knocked a cup off her desk by accident and reacted quickly enough to catch it before it was even close to the floor. All these changes scared and thrilled her at the same time. 

Another thing that weighed heavily on her mind was her future. The sense of the unknown terrified her. Even if the Justice League deemed her safe, this planet would never be a home to her. The people, they were not her’s. They would look at her with distrust and suspicion. She had seen the news reports on Superman herself on her Earth computer, he still had people who distrusted him after all he had done for the people of Earth. Kara could see herself helping the people of this planet like Superman did, but how long would it take for her to earn the people's trust?

But that’s what she wanted to do, help those who were as helpless as she had been on the last day of Krypton. To be like Kal El and help people. To give them hope. It’s what House El had stood for. That’s what she had told Superman when he had asked what she wanted to do on Earth.

However, that was not what weighed on her mind the most. The question which made her the most apprehensive was what had been meant by ‘Revan is coming’? It was a voice in a shapeless dream that had chanted it as she had awoken from the cryo stasis, leading to her delirious speech as she had awoken. The Justice League would want answers to her ramblings about Revan. They hadn't asked her anything about it yet, though she could feel in her gut that it was coming.

Thinking of Revan made her head hurt. She remembered his face, especially his eyes, dark and absorbing. When she pictured them they were always staring intensely into her soul. Her shoulder felt like it had been branded where he had touched her, though there wasn’t a mark on her skin. The sensation that she had felt then was nothing like she had ever felt before, like there was a foreign presence inside of her. Kara did not know what he did, but she would find out. 

Revan had not looked evil or like some great monster, just like a normal young man. She had always imagined a horrid face adorned with scars and burns, not the handsome one which had stuck so vividly in her mind. Kara had a feeling she would see it again and that same feeling told her it would be soon.

The lessons she had received on Krypton about Revan had been very limited on most things. She knew about the force, a power unique to people of his galaxy that allowed them to manipulate the world around them. Something that made Revan different was that he enhanced his body with the force, rather than what most of the other force users did which was unleashing powerful attacks, similar to the lightning that Revan had used.

Kara drew Revan’s knife from her belt and examined the blade. Its white handle looked like a bone of some kind while the blade was a dark grey metal. Twirling the blade around her fingers, her skill showed she had done this many times, as did the amount of small scars. Whatever material it was made from, it was sharp enough to cut her skin.

The blade was simplistic yet efficient, plain yet elegant. A comforting feeling came over her when she held it, like the comfort of an old toy. Having studied and played with the blade enough, she set the knife down on the metal dresser and decided to get some sleep.

As Kara lay there, she thought of her disturbing dreams. One particular dream always consisted of her planet being destroyed and her people screaming for her to save them. The planet then disappeared and there was blood on her hands which, try as she might, would not come off. But this time, she dreamt of a green lush field and blue sky. The air was still and birds sung in the distance. In the middle of the field was a hill with a solitary tree standing watch over it. The tree’s red leaves stood in stark contrast with the vibrant blue colours of the sky. As she started to move closer to the tree, she made out four figures who sat under its canopy of crimson leaves, basking them in a red light. Echoing laughter filled her ears as she watched the figures from a distance, though she could not see their faces. She could feel the joy radiating in their laughter, but as soon as she took the next step towards them, the laughter stopped. One by one, the figures disappeared into the air, leaving all but one sitting under the tree. The red leaves began to slowly float down, creating a red circle around the tree, which to her terror formed into a pool of blood. The figure then arose from the pool of blood, and stared off into the distance. Kara followed it's gaze, which met with a storm that covered the entire horizon. It was clear this was no ordinary storm, as these clouds were black, like darkness itself. She turned back to the solitary figure, but to her surprise it was right in front her. A surface of rippling darkness covered its skin moving like a body of water. Kara then realised that the liquid was blood, forming a cocoon around the person. It raised a bloody hand and a voice that seemed to originate from around her filled her head. 

“Get Out!” it screamed.

Kara was then assaulted by waves of energy on all sides as she was forced to the ground, the pain filling her skull. Yet, she held her ground as long as she could. As the storm closed in, Kara thought she saw other beings approach. But before she could get a good look at them, the pain encasing her flared to unbearable levels and just as Kara was about to scream, she awoke.

Her heart was pounding like a drum as she took in her familiar surroundings, sweat dripping down her body. Yet to her surprise and annoyance, her cousin stood in the doorway, a concerned look on his face. Kal glanced to her right hand and then back to her. This caused Kara to notice she was in fact gripping Revan’s blade so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Yet to her surprise the handle did not break or bend.

“Sorry,” Kara mumbled, slipping the knife into her belt as she stood up. “Dreams …..,” she explained and stretched, her back giving a satisfying crack in response to the movement. Kal just nodded in an understanding way.

“You know, if you want to talk…”

“It’s fine, Kal. I … just need some time to deal with these things.” She tried to sound convincing, but the look on his face showed how much he believed her. Still he gave her a small smile. 

“Okay, Kara. Sometimes it's easier to deal with these things with someone. Trust me.” He spoke the last words softly. In truth, he was the only one who she did trust, but Kara knew he wouldn't understand what she was feeling. He had grown up on this world, not Krypton. He couldn't miss what he had never known. 

“Anyway, what did you come for, Kal?” Kara questioned as she raised an eyebrow, eager to move on.

“The League has some questions for you… about Revan.” Kal straightened his already stoic posture in the doorway, as he remembered what he had come here for in the first place. 

Kara suddenly felt anxious. This was the moment she was dreading as she didn't know what she would say. She had been taught some things about him, the force and his ability to control all aspects of it. He was a capable military tactician, and he surrounded himself with powerful and loyal followers. But this was all superficial as it wouldn’t help her to explain who he was or what he would do. What she had just described was every successful leader in history minus the force powers

Kal saw her apprehension and said gently, “There’s nothing to worry about. The League are just curious about what you know of Revan. We will also discuss the options for your future here on Earth.”

Kara took a deep breath to settle her nerves. “Do I have time to freshen up?” she asked, feeling the need to wash after the vivid dreams. Kal nodded and turned and threw, “fifteen minutes, no longer,” over his shoulder.

After showering and getting dressed in a new white body suit from her dresser, she checked her reflection. Kara looked better than she had for a while, her long blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulders, though she still felt tired. Revan’s knife slipped into the band around her waist completed the look. Within a couple seconds she was greeted by Kal who stood in the corridor. ‘Well, no hiding from it any more,’ Kara thought.

“Lead the way.”

  
  


**The Meeting Room**

As Kara entered the meeting room, she saw who she assumed was Green Lantern, Batman, Diana and J’onn J’onzz. They were seated around a circular table with the letters ‘J’ and ’L‘ engraved into it. On one side of the room, there was a massive window that looked over the Earth. She and Kal sat in the free seats between Green Lantern and J’onn. All eyes around the table were on her, all assessing her and expectant of answers. Her nerves had also returned, making her feel slightly nauseous. The faces looking at her from around the table were all grim and serious. 

“Thank you for joining us, Kara Zor-El,” stated Diana with a reassuring smile. She continued, “I understand you have met everyone in this room apart from Green Lantern. He is a good man and an even better warrior. He is in attendance as his power ring may provide us with additional information.” 

The man was built like a warrior, his dark skin adding to his fearsome look. His rigid posture reminded her of Kryptonian military men, which was only reinforced by the curt, “John,” he offered gruffly in greeting.

Kara nodded in return.

“We would like to ask you some questions about Revan, if that is okay?” Kal spoke gently from beside her, acting as her support.

Kara shifted in her seat as her eyes flickered between the different beings in the room. She was nervous but despite that she nodded and said, “I’ll help in anyway I can.” She surprised herself with how steady she sounded. 

“What do you know of Revan?” Inquired Kal. 

“He is the leader of a group who called themselves ‘Revanites’ who came from a different galaxy. I don’t know much about how the conflict began. I know there were talks between our people and theirs, but those talks soon broke down. Neither the news networks nor the government said why. I was only two at that time, so all I know is what my mother told me…” She tailed off at the mention of her mother. The pain was still raw inside her. She remembered vividly her mother smiling at her, even as their family home was crumbling around her.

“If you need a moment…” J’onn’s monotone voice drew her out of her stupor. She felt damp under her eyes and realised she had just started crying in front of these people.

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine,” she tried to reassure them after wiping the moisture away from her eyes, though by the looks of pity (and disinterest from Batman) she failed to convince them. Having been annoyed with Batman’s attitude towards her since she arrived, she struck him a steely glare while spitting, “May I continue?” It was childish, but Kara didn’t care.

“Of course,” spoke Kal from beside her, not missing the glare Kara sent Batman. Kara tried to compose herself before she did.

“The First War started when I was two and ended when I was nine. I think … I think my mother mentioned that the war ended with a stalemate on both sides. The Government tried to paint it as a great victory, but none of the people seemed very happy. Everyone just carried on with their lives.”

Looking around she saw that she had their attention, all watching her with varying degrees of interest.

“Two years later the people of their galaxy, united under one faction called the ‘Galactic Confederation’ launched an offensive and drove us, the Kryptonians, out of their galaxy. That war lasted until I was thirteen, no fourteen.”

“Was Revan a part of this?” questioned Green Lantern, trying to get an understanding of him.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Kara with uncertainty, trying to recall the news at that time. “His name is infamous after their invasion, not before,” remembering her lessons on Krypton about him. Yet all that kept coming back to her was the picture of him on the smoking wreckage of the bridge.

“That’s okay Kara, but where does Revan come into this specifically?” asked Kal, steering the meeting back to its purpose.

“He led the invasion into our galaxy from his. When I was sixteen, he and a rogue scientist named Brainiac had attacked us from two different sides.”

All their faces showed recognition of Brainiac’s name. 

“We have met him before. He is a Coluan Rogue scientist with the task to assimilate all known life. He was responsible for Krypton's destruction wasn’t he?” Questioned J'onn.

“Yep,” Kara said bitterly, thinking back to the ship over Kandor, its blue light devouring all it touched. 

“Anyway, back to Revan,” spoke Green Lantern gruffly. Kara had a feeling Green Lantern knew of Revan by the way he said the name; as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“In their first few battles the Revanites barely escaped with their lives. The Kryptonian Government, seeing how easily Revan’s forces were defeated, pulled most of its forces over to fight Brainiac. Revan exploited and ruthlessly punished us, the Kryptonains, after this blunder, taking city after city, station after station, planet after planet. After the battle of the Praxic Station, the gateway between our galaxies, he disappeared for three months. Everyone thought he was dead. His forces fortified the Praxic Station and remained there.” She shuddered as she remembered the three months well.

“What happened to the Kryptonains on those planets?” asked Kal, confusion in his eyes.

“All non military personnel were evacuated back to Krypton and the planets close to it, when Revan’s fleet approached them. The military however… they followed a policy of no surrender, often killing themselves before they could be captured,” Kara said as she shuddered, remembering the time she had asked her mother the same question.

Kal looked openly shocked, as did most of the others around the room.

“What happened in those three months you mentioned?” asked Batman breaking the silence. Kal and Diana shot him a glare, not pleased at such an insensitive question.

Kara realised that they must of seen her discomfort. She steadied herself as she remembered all the horrific scenes that had been shown on the news. “The first two months terrorist and chemical attacks were rampant on Kryptonian planets. Millions died, and as a result everyone was pulled back to Krypton for their safety. Nearly every day there was an attack of some kind.”

“Was this Revan?” asked Green Lantern, his jaw clenched in anger. 

“No,” Kara said. Anger laced through her tone and her arms were shaking before she turned to Green Lantern. “It was the work of ‘Cypher’,” she spat, remembering the messages that were left at the scene. Some were political secrets, others were just taunts. 

Batman, Green Lantern and J’onn looked at each other with grim faces. Batman looked like that was the first thing she had said that was of interest of him.

J’onn looked at her incredulously. “Are you sure…”

“Yes, I will never forget his name,” Kara said solemnly. “I will never forget what he did. He turned Kryptonian against Kryptonian and broke the trust in our society.” She suddenly looked at J’onn, a blonde eyebrows raised in sudden realisation. “How do you know of him?”

J’onn looked around the table as if having an internal debate with himself, then began. “I’ve heard whispers of a being known as ‘Cypher’ for years. Whatever it is, it acts as a puppeteer, influencing key galactic events from the shadows, though there’s never any proof behind the claims. I did not believe them,” J’onn summarised as he shook his head, obviously frustrated by his dismissal of the claims.

She turned her gaze to Batman and waited, as did everyone else in the room. Batman waited just long enough to show that it was his decision. 

“Just after your arrival on Earth, in the criminal networks there was mention of a word again and again. ‘Cypher’. Yet all that happened was some gangs went dark across the world. And then,” he tapped his gauntlet and it brought up a hologram of Earth. Red dots pinpointed ten cities around the globe. 

“These dots are cities in which organised crime has virtually fallen to zero. Bludhaven, a city with an extremely high crime rate, is now dealing with more domestic disturbances than organised crime. Me and an associate of mine have made enquiries into the criminal underworld, yet all we get in return is the word ‘Cypher’ and nothing else. No one knows anything; it is highly unusual for the criminal underworld.”

“It was similar to when he first announced himself on Krypton, he took control of the underworld first and waged war on us with our own people. It was his play to turn Kryptonian against Kryptonian,” Kara remembered. The Kryptonian government attempted to hide the existence of the underworld, but it was a well known secret to the rest of Kryptonian society.

“‘There is also…” Batman shot Kal a glare, interrupting him. They had a silent battle of wills before Kal relented, though he was clearly not happy. Kara had to bite her tongue. Still they kept stuff from her.

“Are Revan and Cypher linked?” questioned J’onn, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“Yes,” Kara exclaimed without hesitation, but then looked down sadly, “It was the last thing my mother told me, before she closed the hatch...” The room fell silent again for a moment as they took this in. But Kara would not let these thoughts control her, knowing it would not get her or them anywhere.

“How do you know Cypher?” challenged Kara turning to Green Lantern, who shifted uncomfortably. She caught a proud smile in her peripheral vision from Kal at her actions.

“The Green Lantern Corps has dealt with both Revan and Cypher before, but I can say no more. It was not the Corps finest hour and it is confidential to the Corps,” Green Lantern said bitterly, though his voice brokered no argument.

Batman stared at his colleague before asking, “Is there anything you can tell us, Lantern?” Everyone in the room knew he wasn't really making a request.

“We need to tread very carefully, these are not just criminals or your normal bad guys. Both are dangerous individuals with an army of people behind them. Together, they are even more dangerous,” Green Lantern finished, matching Batman’s stare evenly. Silence hung in the room after his statement.

“Have you ever met Revan before, in person?” J’onn queried looking at her, catching Kara off guard. She had not expected that question and therefore she did not know what to say. Would they still trust her if she said that she had met him? 

“Why?” Even to her ears it sounded lame.

“Your eyes. When you talk of Revan you get a far off look in your eyes. Like you’re looking at a picture of the past,” J’onn said studying her. Kal shot the Martian a strange look which Kara couldn't decipher. She wanted these people to trust her and wanted somewhere to be, a place to belong. To tell them everything could jeopardize that. It would also mean living through that day again. Experience that loss again. The scar of that day cut deep and savage inside her, so she settled for a half truth. Her mother had said the best way to lie is to tell the closest thing to the truth as possible. 

“I saw him in passing on Krypton's last day. He was meeting my mother.” Kara spoke quietly, letting emotions flood her voice to try and make it sound as truthful as possible. 

“Do you know why he was meeting your mother?” asked Batman. Kara had thought a bit about it herself. Every time she thought of it, the answer pained her, realising that her mother had done it for her and Kal. Her mother had invited their most dangerous enemy into their home to save them. 

“Revan’s fleet was in between Krypton and Earth. To get to Earth, our pods would have to get past his fleet. I guess she met with him to ensure our escape,” Kara deduced for the others. What else could she have met Revan for? Everyone's reaction was one of surprise. Even Batman’s white eye lenses expanded by a millimetre.

“He let the people he was warring against live? I am here because Revan allowed it?” Kal thought aloud.

“Was there any mention of Revan in the Fortress of Solitude archives?” asked Diana.

“No, nothing. The archives only ever mentioned Brainiac in relation to the destruction of the planet. They mentioned no war against another galaxy.” Kal shook his head. “This doesn't make any sense unless the archives are incomplete, which is unlikely as it has Krypton's entire history on it.” Kara felt like there was an obvious answer but Batman beat her to it.

“Unless it was tampered with. Archives can be manipulated by someone with access to them. With Cypher’s history, there is a strong possibility that it erased all knowledge of their people. The questions are what other things in the archives have been edited and why?”

They all sat in silence pondering this troubling realisation.

“What I don't understand is why Revan did all that, just to come now? Why now?” Green Lantern said with irritation. The man had an obvious dislike of Revan.

No one had an answer to that, of course, except Batman. 

“He is coming for you,” Batman said as he stared at her. Kara shrank a little in her chair as her worst fears came to light. “It’s too close to be a coincidence,” he continued.

Kara merely nodded, fearing everyone's reaction, though she did not look down. “He said he would come for me. It was the last thing he said to me.”

Everyone in the room had skeptical looks written on their faces. It was clear to them that Kara wasn’t telling them the whole story.

“We won't let him lay a finger on you, we’ll protect you,” Kal said with certainty, looking to the others for support.

J’onn spoke up then. “If he wanted to kill her, he would have done it on Krypton.” 

Batman nodded in agreement. “J’onn is right. I doubt someone as powerful as Revan would come all this way just to kill her.” Batman finished, but left a thought hanging in the air. She could see that the next question would be why would he come all this way just for her. There was no reason, she was no-one special.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door slid open with a hiss, and a fit, tall young man wearing a blue and black bodysuit strolled in confidently. 

“Sorry about the interruption, but it's urgent,” he spoke in a clear voice, obviously comfortable with the company in the room. He looked at Batman who just nodded at him to continue.

“I have just met with Cypher.” He looked surprised to be saying that himself.

“You sure of this, Nightwing?” asked J’onn, not liking this sudden development. Nightwing? Like the ancient Kryptonian hero? She scanned him and yet he was just a human. Her head groaned in response to using her newfound power.

“I doubt anyone would just wake me at 3am watching ‘Friends’ in my apartment and then claim he is Cypher if he wasn't. He bypassed all of my apartment’s security and yet the system said it hadn't been touched. Anyone who is capable of doing that is usually no stranger to me, friend or enemy. This was someone new.”

“What did he say?” Kara said, as she frowned at the intruder.

Nightwing turned and regarded her for a second, just like Batman had done the first time she had spoken to him. His gaze from behind his mask was friendlier, but Kara still felt like she was being analyzed by a computer. A smirk graced his face as he looked at her and then he looked to Batman.

“He didn't say much. He said Revan would arrive in two months… and he would arrive on Themyscira …”

“What? He can not just turn up on Themyscira. The gods would not allow it. I will NOT allow it,” Diana all but shouted. “How does he even know about Themyscira?”

The question hung in the air like a bad smell. While Themyscira wasn't a secret in itself, for someone off planet to know of it was never good.

Batman’s eye slits narrowed at Nightwing. “What else did he say?”

Nightwing shrugged “Only the usual stuff. He meant no harm and neither does Revan.”

Batman continued staring at him.

“He said nothing else but the message was clear. My secret identity has been compromised, it's almost a certainty that others have been too.” he said, giving a knowing look at the others.

“He’s good,” spoke J’onn begrudgingly.

“Very,” agreed Nightwing.

“There is one thing.” Kara spoke up, as six pairs eyes turned to her. 

“Go on,” encouraged Kal.

“Revan’s good to his word. He kept it once and let us live, I don't see why he would break it now,” she reasoned looking at them all. They all looked doubtful. Kara was fed up with them being distrustful of her. She let loose the frustration that she had been holding in for the last two weeks.

“Revan, in two months time, is going to arrive on Themyscira, whether you want it or not. He defeated all the Kryptonian forces he faced. If you make this a war, he will win, it's all he knows,” Kara said thoughtfully, remembering her lessons about Revan. A boy forged into a man through war.

“What would you suggest?” Nightwing said with an encouraging smile.

“Let him come to Earth.” She looked to Diana. “To Themyscira. Meet him there and see what he wants. Put him out of his comfort zone,” Kara explained. Everyone began conversing between themselves about the plan.

After a few minutes they had stopped. Kal spoke up saying, “There's a lot that could go wrong with this. A potential threat is heading this way and we have a dangerous person on the planet now. However, we have to try and resolve this peacefully if we can. Which is why I think we should meet him on Themyscira,” he said, casting a proud smile at Kara.

J’onn, Batman and Nightwing all agreed.

“We don't have a choice,” muttered Green Lantern bitterly.

“My people won't like it,” Diana sighed, trying to make the others understand.

“The Amazons won’t be able to do this on their own,” Kal stated.

“I know,” Diana replied sadly.

Kara nodded. “I need to be there when he comes as well.” Before anyone could retort, she spoke quickly. “Please. I have questions for him, I need to be there.” All looked to Kal to learn his opinion, he remained silent. 

“She should be there.” To her surprise it was Batman who spoke, though Kal glared sharply at him.

“You only want her there…” Kal began, glaring at Batman.

“No, she should be there. I know I would want to be there if I was Kara,” Nightwing interrupted trying to placate the situation. No one could argue with Nightwing on that point, for which Kara was glad. 

It was J’onn who spoke next. “It does answer one important question. The best option for Kara is to join the Amazons. It will teach her the skills she needs in case Revan attacks. It would also allow Kara to learn more about Earth and being a hero.”

“I don't like it, but Revan is coming and Themyscira is one the safest places Kara could be. On Themyscira we have the ability to contain the threat,” spoke Green Lantern, a deep frown set on his face. Out of all the Leaguers, he seemed to have the most dislike for Revan. Kara wanted to know why, but figured if she questioned him he would just brush her off.

“These are my people, I can't just thrust this upon them. It will be hard enough to get them to take Kara, let alone allow Revan onto the island. You know how they view men, they’ll never agree to it,” stated Diana frustratedly.

“They will not have a choice, Diana,” spoke Kal who tried to reason with her. “This way we can stand beside the Amazons when he arrives.” 

Finally, Diana relented seeing everyone else was against her.

Kara had one more question for the late arrival. “Nightwing,” she uttered.

He turned to face her, as did the rest of the room, and nodded. “I’m Kara, Kal’s cousin. Did Cypher mention anything about me?” She rushed out her words, hoping for something.

His sad smile and pitying look sunk any hope she had. “No, I'm afraid not.”

Kara berated herself for feeling hopeful, that Revan was coming for her. He never did anything in the war without a reason. The three months he disappeared led to an underground campaign and then a surprise offensive. The landing on Themyscira could be a feint to launch an offensive elsewhere. 

No, Revan saved her and Kal’s life once. He wouldn’t just come back to kill her now, would he? And then there was the problem of Cypher, who arguably was more dangerous than Revan. Anywhere on Earth, maybe even Themyscira, Cypher would soon find out about her. And then what? 

Why was Revan coming then?

“Kara?” All the eyes of the room looked at her, waiting patiently. She didn’t even recognise the voice who called her name.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Kara cheeks flushed as she was caught not listening.

“Do you have any questions for Diana about the Amazons,” Kal asked gently.

Kara just shook her head and crossed her arms, letting the others continue. Kara had read about the Amazons. An island nation of just women renowned as being fierce and competent warriors. They stood vigil over an entrance to a realm called the underworld and were immortal unless they fell in battle. Well, that's what it said in the books she had read anyway. She doubted that any of that was actually true.

It would help she thought. They could teach her to become a skilled fighter, so she could make sure something like Krypton would not happen again. 

She would become a hero like Kal El. 

Yet, as the rest of the League made plans, she wasn't once asked what she thought. Nightwing sent a few empathetic glances her way, obviously understanding her frustration. The others either didn't notice or didn’t care.

As Kara followed the conversation about her future, in which she had no input, she felt apprehension grip her. All she caught was that she would be heading down there in a weeks’ time. While she would finally get off this soulless station, she would be going to an isolated nation of warrior women to await the man partly responsible for destroying her planet. And she also felt something else coming, like the storm in her dream. 

Suddenly everyone was getting up and leaving the room. Obviously the meeting was finished. She took one last look at Earth out the giant window before following the others out the door.

And yet, an eerie feeling settled in her gut and wouldn’t go away. Returning to her room she decided to try and get some rest for she knew the upcoming days and weeks were bound to be challenging.

  
  



	5. Arrival

**Kara**

  
  


Turquoise waves lapped gently against the tranquil small beach as the sun beat down on it from above. The wildlife was chirping quietly in the forested areas of the island. There was a low murmur from the army of Amazonian warriors gathered on the beach, all dressed in their armour and fully armed. Capes fluttered in the wind as it blew across the beach. Though the Amazonian army was here, the city itself still had noises of everyday life coming from it. Far above her, outside of the barrier that kept Themyscira hidden, Kara could hear the sound of human aircraft passing overhead. Her super sensitive hearing was just one of the ways it had been made apparent to her how her yellow sun powers had manifested.

Slithering its way from the beach inland was a narrow pathway that cut through the cliffs. On either side of the path the cliffs had been fortified with well built wooden towers, which housed archers and siege engines such as ballistas and catapults. Behind them Amazons moved tirelessly, ensuring that the defences were properly built and everyone was in their positions.

The thing that held Kara’s attention was on the beach itself. There was a giant ‘X’ carved into the pale sand. She knew what it meant. Everyone on the island knew what it meant.

The two months were up. 

They had all been preparing for this day. The Amazons had trained solidily for the last two months, running defensive drills and army manoeuvres in case the worst should happen. Ammo and supplies had been stockpiled in strategic locations. Everyone around the island was on edge, just as people were during the last days of Krypton. 

When Kara first arrived, she had thought that maybe, just maybe, she might find her place amongst the Amazons; a people based on strength and spirit. Kara soon realised that wouldn't be the case. Diana had been on and off the island and had only visited her once. She had spoken to the Amazonian called Donna Troy a few times, though the conversations never lasted longer than five minutes. She had only seen Queen Hippolyta in passing since she arrived on Themyscira, never actually having a conversation with her. 

Her only real friend was Raina. She was a lively girl the same age as Kara. The two had become friends over their dislike of their training instructor. However, Raina was friends with everyone, and so the time that Kara spent with her was usually brief, though she enjoyed it nevertheless.

While the Amazons had treated her with respect, they also kept their distance from her. She had overheard some Amazons complaining around the city that she was the reason they were having to prepare for an attack. On hearing this, she had confronted them, trying to defend herself. The women had just stared at her and told her to mind other people's privacy and that she should not use her gifts for her own selfish benefit. 

Their words hurt her. She had gone to speak to Raina, but she had been busy drinking with some of the other Amazons, and Kara didn’t want to intrude. After being alone for so long, she just wanted someone to speak to. Someone who would understand the loneliness she felt; a friend. Ever since then she had endeavoured to ignore the comments she overheard with her enhanced hearing. It made her realise that maybe having these powers wasn't as amazing as she had first thought.

The Justice League had sent Kal El, Batman, Nightwing and Green Lantern when the giant X had appeared. Wonder Woman was with her sisters, acting as a bridge between the two parties. She had asked Kal El why they had only brought a small party of heroes to confront such a large threat. He replied that if they brought more heroes it would make the Amazons more angry and the League did not want to make it common knowledge that a possibly hostile warrior was arriving on Earth. He did try to reassure her that there were other Leaguers on standby should the need arise. She still wasn’t convinced.

Kara herself had been training tirelessly, preparing for the arrival of Revan. Everyday she had trained in the morning with the Amazons. In the afternoon she practised her meta powers and in the evening she read about pieces of Earth's history, often falling asleep late into the night with a book in her hands. After two months of this, she felt a little more confident than she had when she arrived. Her powers had developed quickly on Themyscira, allowing her the same powers as a yellow sun Kryptonian. 

While she enjoyed training her meta powers, the same could not be said for training with the Amazons. They practised the archaic forms of fighting as utilised by the ancient Greeks, predominantly using weapons such as swords, spears, shields and bows. In the training she was not allowed to use her meta abilities, instead she had to learn the different techniques of wielding these weapons. 

Her trainer, Artemis, one of the most fearsome warriors of the Amazons, believed in the method of uncompromising combat. For two hours in the morning, Kara was battered by Artemis in their training again and again. There were often times she felt like Artemis was humiliating her on purpose. Sometimes she watched the other Amazons, learning how they fought and how they thought. If she knew both of those things then that would give her an advantage should she ever train with them. After particularly tough training sessions, she would go to sleep that night dreaming of humiliating Artemis and seeing how she liked it. Kara knew she shouldn't, but she was sick of everyone treating her as if she was no-one.

The only good thing about the training sessions was that she was usually with Raina. The two worked well together, usually making snide jokes about Artemis behind her back. Unlike other Amazons, she wore a red cloak and armour which matched her fiery red hair.

Her nightmares still greeted her sometimes, though not as much as they had on the Watchtower. Though they had reduced in number, it made the dreams more dreadful when they struck in the night.

A couple of positives were that the food was great and the island was literally a paradise. Gone were the giant crystal formations of Krypton, now there were rolling fields, lush jungles and a clear blue sea around the scenic island. She was told explicitly that under no circumstances was she to leave the city on her own, a rule which she had reluctantly adhered to. The temples in the cities were also off limit to her, due to her offending the gods and goddesses. While Kara was thankful that she wasn't still on the Watchtower, she felt like a prisoner, especially since Kal had not confirmed how long she would be staying here for.

Kara brought herself back to the present. She currently stood nervously in some bronze and leather requisitioned Amazonian armour that was a size too big for her and a sword at her hip which felt unwieldy. The wind blew her bright blonde hair around her face to her constant irritation. She felt her knife slotted securely on her left hip, giving her some security, as out of all the weapons she had trained with, it was the only one that had felt right in her grasp. She put it down to the practice she had on the Watchtower. A few of the Amazons had commented on the craftsmanship of the blade. It was the one thing they had talked to her about.

As she observed the Amazons to her right, they were still practising drills and sorting out their lines. The Leaguers to her left were discussing the potential outcomes and scenarios they might face and the movements of Cypher. A leap in the air caught her attention as Wonder Woman took off and made her way inland.

They had been on the beach since sunrise that morning, setting up defences and getting everyone to their positions. The Justice League had not detected anything on their scanners yet. Kal had said there was no way in which a space ship could arrive in the system without them knowing, let alone on Earth. Nightwing’s presence had confused her at first, but she soon guessed why he was here. Where Revan went, Cypher followed or was already there. Nightwing clearly had what humans on this planet called ‘a bone to pick’ with Cypher. And she also guessed Green Lantern did. She had never seen a man look so grim, yet so determined at the same time. Batman just kept sending her glances to remind her that he was watching her.

She started thinking back to some of the texts she had been reading from the Amazonian library. Some of the most interesting reading was that of conspiracies behind certain events. The people of this Earth could be quite inventive, such as creating myths about an alien race constructing the buildings known as the Pyramids or a demonic entity worshipped by a cult. The strangest one was that some people believed that there was a humanoid robot who roamed the world collecting human organs to…

**BOOM**

A spaceship, the size of one of Earth's cruise liners appeared over the water about a kilometre away, creating a pressure wave which glided across the ocean away from the ship. It was black all over, though the cylinder engines at the back of the ship let off a blue hue. The ship was triangular in shape, with the point facing them having a rectangular space cut out about a third of the way up. It hung in the air above the calm sea, its engines strangely quiet for a ship of its size. The underside of the ship sloped at a gentle gradient towards its outside edges and had multiple weapon platforms entrenched within it. Kara tried to use her X-ray vision to see into the ship, but it was to no avail. Something was blocking it.

Kara heard the Amazons rushing to their positions around her, all arming themselves. Artemis was barking out orders left and right, her voice clear and commanding, organising them. Kara’s eyes saw the Leaguers turned to face the ship, all carefully guarding their expressions as they stared up at the black spaceship. 

Within thirty seconds the Amazons were ready and a hush descended over the area. Kara turned and looked up to the lines of the fierce Amazonian warriors blocking the path. It was twenty Amazons wide and fifty Amazons deep, with the Amazons at the front in a brace position with their shields raised and spears down, their points ready to meet any would be invader. Their faces were a mix of anticipation and determination, with flickers of fear on a few. Kara cast her gaze to the jagged cliffs above and saw the glint of the sun reflected off the armour of the archers stationed there, all with their bows in hand and staring at the unmoving spaceship. 

A series of screeches caught her attention, and she soon saw several small shapes exiting from inside the ships rectangular gap. Taking a closer look, she saw nine ships flying towards them, six of them being one type of ship and the other three being a bulkier kind of ship. Three of the ships broke from the formation and started flying around the large black spaceship. The thrumming of the engines became louder as the ships flew towards the beach, towards them. The three smaller ships were in a ‘V’ formation with the larger ships just behind them. The smaller ships had a large wing span with a smaller wing above and below the main one on both sides. The engines were fitted in between the wings and the hull of the ship, with large canons on the ends of the wings. There were three cockpits on the craft, two facing forward and one facing backwards.

The larger spaceships also had two cockpits facing forward, but that was where the similarities ended. They were larger in shape, with two stubby rectangular wings placed either side of a deep hull. Each wing had a bay door located beneath it. Kara hazarded a guess that they were transports of some kind, though they did not lack armaments. They had two large guns on the front and visible missiles underneath the wings. She could not see inside the transports, just like the capital ship. Kal had explained that some materials blocked their X-ray vision, though Kara had a feeling it was something else. 

The ships slowly descended to just above the water as they flew in. With every second the ships drew closer, she could feel the nervousness of the people around her. Her own heart was beating faster and faster. When they were about one hundred metres out, the ships started to slow down. The three smaller ships held back and hovered about thirty metres above the water, watching the beach. The larger ships landed closer, just above the shallows and stayed there, looking as if they had landed on the water itself.

All that could be heard on the beach was the whirring of the ships’ engines. Kara started to feel sick with nervousness. Her gut was churning with the severity of the situation. But, in some strange way, part of the sick feeling was excitement. She had never thought that this day would actually come. Two months she had waited, and it all led to this moment. The last time she had met him was on that dreadful day, the thoughts of it started flooding her head, the screams, the smell. The death. Her body started involuntarily shaking.

“Kara, are you alright?” Kal asked gently from beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You can back…”

“NO! I must face him,” Kara replied shaking off his arm, trying to bring her emotions back under her control. 

Kal did not look convinced, though before he could say anything else, the doors on either side of the transport ships opened. 

The first being out of the ship landed with a splash, the water up to its knees. She knew straight away who it was. Dressed in a black robe, with obsidian armour fitted over it which went all the way up his arms and down his legs. The armour had various markings and scratches embedded into its worn surface from the bottom of the boots to the tips of the gauntlets. It looked like the armour had been through thirty five years of combat. A knife vest was slung across his body from his right shoulder to his left hip, which like the right hip, had a metal cylinder attached to it. Every Kryptonian knew what those weapons were. They were lightsabers, weapons which could cut the toughest of materials. She could see all four handles similar to her knife nestled in their sheaths, two over his chest, while one was on his forearm and the other was in his boot. The middle holster, which rested over his heart, was empty. And finally a mask under an ebony hood which had put fear into every Kryptonian who ever saw it. 

Revan.

Kara felt everyone tense around her, all knowing that a dangerous man was making his way towards them. He strode with purpose as he stomped through the shallows. She became calm all of a sudden, the anxiety she felt inexplicably died away. She no longer felt constrained. Instead, what she had felt was replaced with determination. A determination to face Revan. She had done it before, she could do it again. 

Soldiers dressed in white heavy armour jumped out behind Revan and out of the other two ships, all sporting various weapons, mostly guns. All of them had different paints on their armour, whether that be different coloured stripes or some kind of markings on the helmet. Some did not wear helmets, as they were not human. One had a large head with tails coming from it, while another had an insectoid looking head with bug-like eyes and a breathing mask. 

Two notable figures followed behind Revan closely, one to his left and one to his right. The being to his left was a little smaller than Revan and was a humanoid alien, who had a skin colour of deep red. His face looked like it was set in a perpetual snarl, as if ready to lash out at a moment’s notice. His eyes shone an unnatural yellow, which contrasted with his skin and the blood red robes that flowed around him, as he waded through the water. At the back of his waist hung his lightsaber, which was twice as long as Revan’s.

The other being was one of the largest she had ever seen. He towered over Revan and the red alien, wearing a helmet which Kara could not yet see through. The being wore some kind of heavy armour, which was different to the other soldiers, as his was green and more rugged. Various types of explosive and deadly looking equipment covered its armour, making it look like a walking armoury. The helmet covered its entire head, though it was similar to Revan’s. The visor was in the form of a ‘T’ shape. On the being’s armoured chest was a painted emblem. The left half she recognized as the Mandalorian emblem, while the right side was a half grey circle with red flecks both inside and outside of it. In the middle of the grey half circle was a white star.

Kara knew Revan had close ties with a warrior caste from his galaxy called the Mandolorians. In the war, one of his closest allies was the Mandalore, leader of the Mandalorians. She had been told that they were marauders with a perverted sense of honour. They lived for glory and death and nothing else. They were usually the shock troops, which like the one before her, used jetpacks to be highly mobile. In the being’s right arm was a large laser rifle, again with the Mandalorian symbol on it, but more interesting to Kara was that the stock was of the same kind of material as her knife. 

Kara turned her focus back to Revan as his forces came out of the sea and onto the beach. He walked with confidence up the beach, coming to a standstill in front of the Amazonian army, with his two companions either side of him. The rest of Revan’s host spread out around him, all with their guns relaxed, though they were watching the Amazons closely. The fighters still hovered menacingly in the background, their engines still roaring. 

Revan folded his arms across his chest and looked up and down the Amazonian line before finally coming to settle on her and the Leaguers. He stared in their direction for just a fraction of a second longer than he had looked at anyone else. Kara also noticed that quite a few of the soldiers and the red skinned man seem to focus on Kal. They must have recognized the emblem of House El emblazoned on his chest. The red humanoid was smirking in Kal’s direction, trying to taunt him. 

Suddenly a black silhouette fell out of the waves and on to the beach. Instantly, she heard some of the Amazonian bows go taught as they analysed the newcomer. Revan and his forces paid the figure no attention, still surveying the army in front of them. The being was dressed in some kind of Earth attire which looked like it allowed him to breathe under the water, as evidenced by the large yellow canister on its back, the tube going from the canister to a mouthpiece and the large fins on its feet. It walked backwards towards Revan as everyone looking upon the beach followed it. Kara started to feel impatient as the figure slowly trudged up the beach to beside Revan. 

“You're late,” Revan spoke as he addressed the being. His voice was different than it was on Krypton. The mask made his voice deeper, more intense. The vibrations of his voice seemed to resonate around him as he spoke.

After removing the breathing tube from its mouth, a sarcastic male voice said in response, “Nice to see you too Revan.” The male, who was taller than Revan, then turned around, dropped his tank into the sand and started getting out of his wetsuit. Kara saw Nightwing’s jaw tighten a bit and Green Lantern ground his teeth together. Collectively, all the Leaguers (bar Batman) heart rates increased. 

That could only mean that this man was Cypher. 

Anger welled up in Kara after finally coming face to face with this monster. Underneath his wetsuit he wore a form hugging body suit with loads of pouches but no visible weapons. There was no ornamentation nor any emblems on his suit, it was just plain dark grey. His light brown hair was combed over to the right, perfectly dry, and his face was adorned with three parallel scars running across the left side of his face. He nodded to both of Revan’s close companions who both returned a respectful nod. Cypher wore a disarming smile, as he took in the sight of the gathered forces. As he looked over in her direction he smiled and shouted, “Nice to see you again D-Nightwing. Here’s a joke for you. A disabled woman, a magician and an alien all walk into a bar...”

Everyone looked confused, looking between Nightwing and Cypher not understanding what his comment meant. Nightwing’s heart rate had quickened, though Kara did not know precisely why. Whatever Cypher had meant by it had gotten to him. Nightwing merely glared at him in reply; his usual pleasant demeanor gone and replaced with an emotionless facade. Cypher came to stand between Revan and the warrior dressed in heavy armour to his right. “Never had a welcoming party this big before, I feel honoured,” he murmured to Revan, Kara catching it due to her superior hearing. She had already decided that she hated Cypher due to the terrible things the man had done, and yet somehow he seemed to be making her hate him even more. The man reeked of arrogance. As she looked back she caught Revan looking at her, but he quickly turned his head away and proceeded to step forward. He looked past the gathered force and up the path, before bellowing,

“I am Revan and I demand a meeting with the leader of this island.” His voice was definitely deeper with a mask on, or maybe that was just because he had aged by thirty five years Kara thought. It still made her sick to think about it.

“No man is allowed to step upon this island. Turn back!” She heard Wonder Woman reply loudly from within the ranks of the Amazons, obviously having just returned from the city. While Revan did not move, the red skinned alien snarled and clenched his fist and looked at the Amazons like he was hungry. Cypher stood there but he was more focused on watching the Leaguers and her. He winked at her as they made eye contact, making her blood boil over with the taunt, but just as she was about to lunge forward, an iron grip latched onto her shoulder. “Ignore him,” growled Batman staring in front of them. Kara then forced herself to relax, and saw what Batman was looking at. A couple of Revan’s soldiers facing her had raised their weapons and had them trained on her. Behind them a fighter also had its cannons pointed towards her. Kara willed herself to calm down, taking a few deep breaths. 

Batman soon released her shoulder and returned to glaring at Cypher. The ship slowly returned to facing the cliffs while soldiers reluctantly lowered their weapons, though a couple kept watch on her.

Revan yelled back, “I am no man. I AM REVAN.” he clenched his fist in front of him. Kara thought that Cypher wasn't the only one who was arrogant. Were all ‘Revanites’ like this?

“I did not come all this way to turn back now. Take me to this island's leader now. I will not ask you again,” he ordered, staring directly at Wonder Woman. Kara knew Diana never backed down from a challenge, as she was a true warrior. Diana glided over the Amazons and landed gracefully in front of them, a couple of metres from Revan with her sword still in its sheath and her shield still on her back. Kara felt Kal move from her left but as she went to follow him, he turned around and said “stay here,”

“But,” Kara tried to argue.

“Please Kara.” Kara huffed but reluctantly nodded and so Kal walked over to stand between Revan and Diana, his red cloak blowing in the wind. The soldiers merely watched Kal, their guns relaxed, pointing towards the ground. Kal nodded at Diana and then looked at Revan with no fear. Kara wished she could control her emotions as well as he did

_ ‘Don't we all,’ _a voice said.

Kara looked around confused. No one around her matched that voice so she shook it off as if she caught a conversation from the city, she recognised it though but could not place it.

“Why are you here, Revan?” Kal questioned in a neutral tone.

“This has nothing to do with you, Kal El,” Revan sneered, his mask still focused on Diana.

“This is my planet, and these people fall under my protection,” Kal reasoned.

“I didn't realise you were so weak you need a man to protect you. Pathetic, no wonder you bow before weak gods and goddesses...” Before he could finish, an angry Diana had drawn her sword and stepped towards Revan, the sword pointing unwaveringly at her quarry. Every soldier on the beach readied themselves. Kara heard the Amazons on the cliffs pull their bows taught again and the ones below them readied their spears. Revan's soldiers on the beach all readied their weapons, pointing them mostly at the Amazons, though the ones close to her and the Leaguers were trained on them. Batman’s hands had disappeared into his cloak, while Nightwing had his hands on his escrima sticks that were sheathed on his back. Green Lantern was also in a ready position, his ring glowing brightly.

The red alien had purple electricity encasing his hands, staring intently at Diana with a malicious smile. The green armoured being had his gun drawn and pointed at Kal, the gun not swaying one little bit. There was something Kara did not like about the look of the rifle. Around the chamber of the weapon there was a sickly green hue which made her start to feel nauseous as she soon realized what it was. A weapon that shot green kryptonite. One shot from that and Kal would be at best badly injured and at worst dead. Kal had stepped round to face Revan, blocking Diana’s path. His gaze flickered between the four beings standing in front of him. 

Revan himself had not moved. His mask stared intensely at Diana, daring her to attack him. His arms were rigid as his hands hovered right next to the metallic cylinders, his fingers perfectly still. 

It started to sink in for Kara then just how precarious this situation was. If this ended in conflict, many would die. She knew she had to diffuse this situation before it got out of control, but before she could intervene, Cypher put his hand on the green armoured being’s rifle and lowered it while walking past him. He began to speak as he slowly walked up to Kal, looking up at him as he was shorter. “I hate unnecessary violence, especially such as this. Let's all just relax, okay?” He looked round signalling all Revan’s troops to lower their weapons, which they all did slowly. The electricity disappeared from the red alien’s hand, though the malicious smile did not. Cypher then looked to Diana past Kal’s shoulder. “Your turn.” Diana stared at him and frowned but did as he said and sheathed her sword. The Amazons brought their spears up and the archers on the cliffs relaxed their bow strings, though both kept their places. The Leaguers all relaxed, though Green Lantern’s ring still shone brightly.

“That is better isn’t it. Now we can talk like civilised people,” he said with a big smile on his face. Kara hated that smile. No sane person would smile in a situation like this. Cypher returned to his place beside Revan, visibly happy with himself. 

“I did not come here to fight, I only wish to speak with the leader of this island,” Revan started again, his voice more measured this time. He clasped his hands behind his back, slightly relaxing his posture a bit before he continued, “It would only be me and Cypher, everyone else would return to the ship, if you are so afraid.” 

Before Diana could retort, an authoritative voice cut in, “And why would we trust anything said by one who would cower behind a mask?” A regal woman stepped forward of which Kara had only glimpsed a few times. Queen Hippolyta calmly walked forward to stand beside her daughter, Diana, with Artemis and three other guards in close proximity. The Queen was adorned with gold armour which shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Around her shoulders was some kind of grey wolf skin. On her head she wore a gold tiara which ran down the sides of her face, framing her head in a golden light. The tiara kept her dark blonde hair out of her face and somehow did not move around in the wind, to Kara’s envy. Hippolyta was an older woman, though she had a regal beauty about her. She wore an expression of distaste when she looked upon Revan. Kara noted that it was like two opposites meeting, light and dark. While Hippolyta’s armour seemed to cast a light of its own around itself, Revan’s seemed to drain the light and seep darkness into the world around him.

All eyes were now on Revan as he stood motionless, locked in a stare off with the queen. After what felt like hours, Revan moved his hands to his face, and soon she heard a decompressing noise come from his helmet. Kara tried to prepare herself for what he would look like as he moved the mask away. Would he look a lot older now? Would he have even more scars? 

He took off his mask and pulled back his hood for all to see.

Kara let out an involuntary gasp at what she saw.

He looked near enough the same age as he had on Krypton. That should have been impossible. Maybe it was to do with the force Kara thought. Yet that wasn't the most shocking thing.

Whatever had happened to him in those thirty five years had left its mark.

His skin was even paler and looked clammy with purple veins close to the surface of the skin. His lips were an ugly purple as if they were permanently bruised. His black hair was wiry and unkempt and it fell down to the top of his neck. The only thing that was nearly unchanged was his eyes... they were just as dark and intense. Yet, they looked even more tired than before, as they were bloodshot with bags underneath them. But the scar on his right cheek was the same. That was the scar she had seen on Krypton. There was even a new jagged one along the right side of his jaw. His stubble had disappeared, instead he was clean shaven, showing even more of his pale and sickly skin.

“Queen Hippolyta I take it?” Revan asked interrupting her thoughts. His voice was raspy and did not hold a single bit of warmth to it. Not like it had on Krypton. 

The Queen continued to stare at him and nodded, not put off by his sickly image. Kara saw a lot of the Amazons were averting their eyes from Revan now, disturbed by his image. Revan just stood still, though without the mask and the hood, he was less terrifying. Still, he held an air of power around him that seemed to sizzle. He maintained a neutral expression, though Kara could tell he was trying not to let his anger show at being challenged. 

“I request that I be allowed to stay here for a while. I will explain to you my reasons for being here in private,” Revan said through gritted teeth. 

To everyone's surprise including her own, Hippolyta inclined her head in acceptance. “A few rules first: It will only be you, no one else; no weapons are allowed and neither is that dreadful mask; you will be guarded at all times of the day. Failure to adhere to the rules will result in your expulsion or execution. Are we clear?” She spoke in a voice that offered no compromise. 

The red alien angrily snarled at Hippolyta, obviously not happy with how Revan was being spoken to. Cypher still had a smug smile on his face which she did not like. For someone who had caused so much misery and pain to others, to smile so much was against any principles of good morality. Perhaps he just didn't care. Revan handed his mask to Cypher and unclipped the two metallic cylinders from either side of his waist and also handed those to Cypher. 

Revan held up a hand. “I’ll be one moment.” He then turned around and walked back to the armoured green soldier and said a few words to him that Kara couldn't make out. The soldier banged his chest with his giant left gauntlet and returned to one of the transports. Something akin to pride was evident in Revan’s gaze as he watched the retreating form of the armoured warrior. 

He then turned to the red alien and spoke at length with him. Again, he somehow managed to distort his conversation so that no one but the red alien could hear what he was saying. They had a heated exchange, in which Revan’s face flickered between a neutral expression and anger. A couple of times, the red alien pointed towards her and Kal, frustrated with whatever Revan was saying. 

Eventually, the two stopped talking. The red alien then bowed to Revan, who just nodded in return. The alien turned towards Kal and Kara and licked his lips before he walked back to the transports. Revan subsequently signalled for all the soldiers to return to the ships, which they did without hesitation. The soldiers slowly walked back into the water, still watching the beach and the cliffs. When the last soldier boarded the transports, the ships doors closed and they took off heading back up to the looming capital ship. The fighters turned around in the air and followed them. All that was now left on the beach was Revan and Cypher, who were standing shoulder to shoulder staring down a Queen and her army of Amazons. That didn't make Kara any less nervous, in fact it made her feel worse. Revan was now going to be around her for the near future. He was a constant reminder of what she once had, of what had been cruelly ripped away from her. 

“And the daggers?” the Queen asked.

“They’re of cultural significance to me. I will not be parted from them due to the insult it would cause to my people. If it reassures you, they are more ornamental than practical anyway,” Revan replied unfazed. The Queen looked skeptically at him, but eventually allowed it before moving on to her next question. Though something inside Kara didn’t feel right about that, like Revan wasn’t telling the truth.

“And what of him?” Hippolyta asked Revan, looking at Cypher intently. 

Revan just scoffed. “You can try and keep him out. You won’t. Cypher goes where he wants and there’s not a lot you or I can do about it,” Revan said tiredly, casting Cypher a despondent look. Cypher just shrugged, as if he didn't have a care in the world. 

“Will he be staying?” the Queen questioned, looking suspiciously at Cypher.

“I am here…” Cypher started to say.

“No,” Revan interrupted quickly. “He’ll stay with me until we reach the city.”

“Just so he can find a way in and out?” Queen Hippolyta said cleverly, though there was no boast in the tone of the statement. 

“Wow, you are quick aren't you?” Cypher said with a snarky tone, his eyes twinkling with mirth. 

Diana stepped towards Cypher, past Superman. “That is the Queen you are speaking to, show some respect. She has already given more time to you than I would have,” Diana said hotly, a dangerous look in her eyes. 

“Charming,” muttered Cypher to Revan, though it was loud enough for all to hear. Diana scowled at Cypher, not liking the comment. If this was how Cypher treated everyone, she was amazed no one had killed him yet. 

_ ‘Not for a lack of trying,’ _the voice said again. 

Kara whipped her head around, confused as to whose voice it was. Nightwing gave her a curious look, to which she just shook her head to reassure him. It had happened twice now. Either she was going mad or someone was listening to her thoughts and was able to communicate through her mind. Neither option was good.

“As long as he isn't disruptive and remains in sight at all times, then he will be permitted entry. He will also have to hand over all his weapons and gadgets. Do not make me regret this.” The Queen said with such a tone that even Cypher wisely kept his mouth shut. He still couldn't help having a cocky grin though. 

“Shall we?” Revan suggested, indicating inland. 

“Wait,” Kal spoke up. “With your permission Queen Hippolyta, the League would like to ask Revan some questions.” 

“I have nothing…”

“Revan will answer your questions, though do keep it brief. I do have other duties that require my attention,” Queen Hippolyta said with a small smile. Kal signalled Revan and Cypher to follow, who did so reluctantly. Revan gave the Queen an irritated look as he went. He and Cypher came to stand in front of Kara and the other Leaguers, with Superman coming to stand to her right. 

Revan looked angrily at them all except for Green Lantern who he ignored. He kept glancing at Superman’s chest, especially the House of El emblem with hatred in his eyes. Cypher just stood there looking bored, though his eyes were always active, they never remained focused on one thing.

“Why are you here, Revan?” Kal began in an iron tone. He was focused more on Revan, the same as Green Lantern. Batman and Nightwing on the other hand focused mainly on Cypher. Kara herself just stared at Revan, still trying to come to terms with the fact he was right here in front of her.

“My reasons are my own. If you’re concerned about me coming to invade the Earth, you needn't be. This backwater of a planet holds no meaning to me. You have nothing to fear from me or my forces. That includes the Kryptonians too,” Revan said looking disinterested, though his voice was still firm.

“Then why bring a warship?” Kal asked, glancing up to the black spectre in the sky. 

“It was the only ship with the technology to get here within the time I needed,” Revan replied smoothly. Too smoothly. She felt the same thing when he had mentioned the knives. There was something when he said that statement, like she knew it was a lie. Before she could say anything Nightwing had started speaking.

“Do either of you have anything to do with the disappearance of criminal networks in ten cities around the world?”

“Now why would we bother with criminals?” replied Revan, anger seeping into his voice.

“It was brought to our attention that you have utilised criminal networks in the past for your own objectives,” answered Nightwing frowning.

“And I wonder who they learned that from?” Cypher said sarcastically, smirking at her. She fidgeted under the intense look he gave her, though she did not back down.

She felt herself becoming angrier at Cypher as he seemed uncaring while they waited for him to reply. By the look on Revan's face, he was also angrier though she didn’t know whether it was directed at the conversation or Cypher.

“No, I haven’t done anything to the criminal networks on this planet. As Revan said, he is not invading, so I have no reason to get involved in the tiresome politics of the criminal underworld.”

Kara was skeptical of this, and Revan only reinforced her judgement by his frown. Obviously Revan doubted Cypher on this statement as well.

“The key rule here Revan, and this goes for you as well Cypher and all your people, no killing. Any death will result in your arrest and detainment,” Kal explained, not intimidated in the slightest by the two dangerous men in front of him.

“I would like to see you try,” Cypher said looking challengingly at the Kryptonian, still with a slight smile on his lips. Revan sighed and rolled his eyes at Cypher’s antics.

“My forces, will do as they see fit. I will not have one of my people die just so you can not have a death on your conscience,” Revan spoke clearly, so as not to be misunderstood. “However, I respect your goal; to protect the people of this planet. I did not come here to endanger Earth’s people and so as far as I see, we should not have an issue.” Silence descended over the small group, the Leaguers surprised by Revan’s statement. Kara did not sense anything from the statement, not like the one before.

“You lied,” Kara suddenly accused pointing at Revan, her heart beating faster.

“What?” Revan said looking confused, his brow furrowed. 

“What you said, about the starship, that wasn't true,” Kara explained, heart pounding in her ears as she hoped she was right. Cypher sniggered from beside Revan, enjoying his friend being caught out. Kara really didn't understand Cypher. He was supposed to be an ally of Revan, yet he spent just as much time antagonizing him as helping him.

Revan’s extremely pale face took on a light shade of red as he gritted out, “We are done here,” and turned to leave. 

“Why here? Why now?” asked Batman out of the blue. That got Revan’s attention. He stopped and looked directly at Batman. Cypher just smirked and said, “So it speaks.” Batman ignored the comment and stood still staring at Revan.

Revan just cocked his head a little to the side, looking as if he was analysing the very soul of Batman.

“The force willed it,” Revan replied in a tone which he hadn't used before. The words sounded tired though Kara did not feel as if he was telling a lie.

Revan began walking away with Cypher following obediently behind him. When he was halfway to where the Queen was waiting patiently, he shouted a warning over his shoulder, “And Lantern, stay away from me and my people,” before he continued on to the Queen. Green Lantern just clenched his jaw. Something like a snarl passed through his lips, his heart rate increased and his eyes narrowed. Kara was worried for a moment that Green Lantern was going to lash out. Yet he calmed himself down quickly, probably due to his experience as a hero thought Kara. She had forgotten that Green Lantern was even with them. He hadn't said a word during the entire exchange with Revan. Kara turned back to see Revan and Cypher standing in front of Queen Hippolyta as Cypher handed over his weapons to Artemis. While Artemis and the other Amazons were continually surprised at how many weapons Cypher had on him, Revan was staring at her with his head cocked to the side. Kara felt uncomfortable under his gaze, though met it with determination.

_ ‘It's not nice to feel unsettled by someone, especially when you don't know the reason why.’ _

Kara’s eyes widened in realisation at who the voice belonged to. It did not sound like his raspy voice in person. The voice was even and sounded healthy. It had a warmth that she recognised... Kara started to feel dread as it seeped into her bones as she recalled that voice. It was on Krypton, on that final day. For the first time since he had taken off the mask, Revan smiled. It was only small, but she caught it. The rest of the Leaguers were too busy watching Cypher handing over his thirty fifth knife to see the battle of minds between her and Revan. 

How was he able to speak directly into her head? Revan abruptly broke off the stare, allowing Kara to gather her thoughts. She would not let him win. She needed to stay strong, like her mother would.

She watched Revan then nod to Queen Hippolyta. Afterwards he and Cypher began to follow the Queen through her army of Amazons, who eyed them warily. His voice entered her mind one more time.

_ ‘I told you I would find you.’ _

Kara thought of one thing. 

She could no longer hide from that last day on Krypton.

She would no longer hide from that last day on Krypton.

She was a Kryptonian of House El, powered by a yellow sun. 

_'Bring it on,’ _ she thought back.


	6. Impressions

**Revan**

**   
  
**

The aroma of food wafted up slowly from the colourful plate laid in front Revan, begging him to take a bite. Revan, as at every previous time, ignored the enticing aroma and instead focused on the other people in the spacious and ornate room. He was seated on a table on the right side of the hall in his dark robe and his black combat boots, the only dark colours contradicting the otherwise colourful room which was lit up by the setting sun. The communal eating area was abuzz with activity with Amazons going leisurely to and fro, eating their meals and chatting to their friends. 

Revan’s four usual ‘friends’ accompanied him, as they had the last two nights, silently standing behind him. They were indifferent to him which was better than the guards he had when he was captured by the Kryptonians. He wasn't being beaten every day like he had been on the Rao Research Station. His guards just answered questions politely and kept watch over him. Sometimes he wondered if the guards were assigned to him for his own safety rather than that of the Amazons. He had noted by the different faces of his personal guard that there appeared to be three teams on rotation. They were good as well, much to Revan’s annoyance, though he had yet to really test their tracking skills. He had slipped away from them a couple of times, but only for mere seconds as they always found him. This frustrated Revan each time, but he kept his anger in check as he knew any incident would likely cause his expulsion. So for now he towed the line.

They were not his only followers on this island though, as Kara Zor-El, the blue eyed and blonde-haired Kryptonian he had saved on Krypton, had also been keeping tabs on him. ‘Well by ‘keeping tabs’ he meant giving him death glares whenever she saw him,’ he thought. He had felt her burning glare as soon as he stepped out of the LAAT onto the beach. It was the same glare he was now receiving from across the room, from a table in the corner. He was surprised that her eyes hadn’t glowed red yet, threatening to wipe him from existence. She was currently sitting with a group of Amazons who were talking amongst themselves, though only a red haired Amazon was trying to get Kara to join in whatever conversation they were having. Ignoring her had been something he hadn’t planned on doing, though he found it necessary, as seeing her brought back unpleasant memories. 

Since the meeting on the beach, he had tried to block the bond they shared, though it was harder than he thought it would be. Every day the pressure behind the bond grew larger and larger, which made it harder and harder for him to block it. Whether this was due to Kara’s proximity or something else, he did not know. What he did know however was that she would soon confront him with her questions, which he understood, but to his own frustration he did not know much about force bonds in general, let alone the force bond they shared. And he would never admit that to a Kryptonian.

Instead of pondering the issue, he focused back to the conversation he had with Queen Hippolyta in her palace. Revan had found that he respected the Queen a great deal. She kept power and commanded with a natural ease he had never seen before. Her voice never rose or wavered when she spoke and she never needed to repeat herself. She commanded through respect which was something that resonated with Revan. To have the ability to lead a people successfully for not just years, but centuries. That took someone with something special inside them. 

The discourse had taken place in her palace, which while architecturally stunning, was surprisingly sparse. The walls were mostly bare except for some trophies and golden drapes. It had reminded Revan of the Mandalorian warrior culture, with a focus on trophies and battles being important to its history. He had then been led to the throne room which looked like one of the Great Houses of Alderaan. At the end of the giant room sat an intimidating throne on a raised dais, so even when the monarch sat they would still be higher than anyone on the floor. The throne room had no walls, only pillars, allowing whoever sat on the throne a clear view of the entire island. Off in the distance, the ship he had arrived on hung ominously against the sky like a looming obelisk. It did not pass him by that a lot of Amazons watched the skies with fearful faces. A gentle breeze lazily blew across the throne which rustled the drapes and kept the temperature of the large room cool. The pillars held up a roof with inscribed words and pictures, which he guessed told the story of this strange island.

The Queen had sent every guard away and sat on the throne with her daughter to her right. Deema had sent his assessment of the Princess in with his report of the situation on Earth. Diana, a princess of Themyscira, was a fierce and able warrior who protected the entire world from those who wished it harm. The Princess also acted as an envoy for her people, which showed that she was more than just a glory seeker like some of the heroes that Deema had mentioned. She was even a key member of the Justice League which Deema had stated would be both his and Revan’s biggest challenge on Earth. Revan had stood there with two of the most powerful females on the planet, both silently appraising him. He felt agitated under their gazes. Without the mask he felt easy to read as he struggled to hide his emotions.

Revan did not think himself easy to surprise, as he always had a feeling that something bad was about to happen, and yet the Queen had done it with her very first sentence.

The Queen had said that she knew why he was here and that ‘they’ were expecting him. When Revan had recovered from his surprise, he pressed to know who ‘they’ were, the Queen merely smiled, though it was not a kind one. It was one filled with a sadness and tiredness that Revan had thought the strong Queen hadn’t possessed. Her few words had led to more questions than answers.

To his further consternation, he was then told he would have to wait two weeks, to which Revan had scowled at the Queen and asked why. Hippolyta had just said it was because she commanded it, her voice fair and even. Revan must have let his despair show, as the Queen had added that she didn't want him there longer than necessary as they did not like men on the island, let alone one that reeked of death.

Though Revan had sensed no cruelty or deceit from the monarch, he felt the anger rise in him and started to draw upon the force, ready to issue a warning to the Queen. 

Who was she to command him to wait?

Both the Queen and her daughter had tensed as they felt the atmosphere in the room shift, the gentle breeze now completely still. 

He had soon realised what this charade was however, and slowly calmed himself down. 

It was a test of course. 

He berated himself silently for not seeing it sooner. Deema would have laughed at him for his lack of awareness. Unfortunately, Deema had left the procession just as they got within sight of the city, without a word, just as he usually did. 

Revan had given him his orders for this world, and so was not surprised when his shadow disappeared. Whether Deema would stick to his orders or change them to suit his goals would remain to be seen. Revan trusted Deema’s judgement, though some of the methods Deema employed always seemed so foreign to him. However, he guessed that it had to do with his training as a cypher to always think outside the box. Though he did annoy Revan at times (most of the time), Deema had been his constant companion for the last four years, so his presence was missed. Revan would never admit this however, as he would never hear the end of it.

The conversation continued for a little while longer as the Queen told him about the laws of the island. They all seemed relatively mundane, like he had to be escorted at all times by at least two Amazons. He was only allowed to visit the lower city, which contained the library, the training grounds and the market. The upper city was off limits to him; this contained the temples to their Gods and Goddesses and the important administrative buildings. He would have no problem avoiding the temples. Their Gods and Goddesses presence was everywhere on this island, as if they were part of the island itself. As long as they didn’t bother him, he wouldn’t have to deal with them, though he knew he would have to be careful. To top it off, Revan also wasn’t allowed to venture outside the city unless the Queen deemed it otherwise. 

The Queen had then stated that what he got up to during the day was up to him, however, if the Amazons saw it necessary for him to avoid a certain area then that was at their discretion. She had also asked about the warship present near the island, which was worrying the Amazons. Revan had reassured her that the ship was there to remedy the situation if something should happen to him. The Queen, while displeased with this, saw she had no choice but to accept it. She had finished the meeting saying they would meet again after a week. 

And with that he had been dismissed, like he had been so many times a lifetime ago back on Tython. 

The food in front of him called him back to the present. Revan had not eaten since before he had landed three days ago. He had developed a paranoia when it came to food after he had been poisoned twice. Once by a Sith who tried to usurp his place as the commander of the fleet sent to the Kryptonian home worlds and an assassin who was sent by the Galactic Confederation on the way back to his own galaxy after Krypton. So even though the food smelled like it was from the finest restaurant on Coruscant, he resisted the urge to eat it. He only accepted meals from Deema or the cantina on his ship. As he had the same meals as the other soldiers and crew, it would be near impossible to poison Revan’s food without others being sick or someone noticing. 

It was similar to why he didn't sleep, though not quite the same. Revan knew if anyone entered his vicinity while he slept, he would instantly wake, ready for a fight. No, for Revan it was the nightmares that greeted him when he closed his eyes. Faces of those he had lost and the faces of those that he still had to lose. Nightmares of what happened two years ago still ate at him, still made him sick that he had fallen that far. 

Everytime he slept, those days came back. He would need to eat and sleep soon though, as the force could only supplement him for so long. His body was already feeling the effects of his lack of food and sleep. But this was no time to dwell on such things, and so he pushed the plate back and left the communal eating area. A loud protest sounded from his stomach which he ignored, annoyed at his own body’s weakness. He wove his wave through the Amazons, never letting anyone get within an arm's reach, though most of them gave him a wide berth anyway as he continued onwards towards his dwelling. Most surprising to him was how little they feared him. The fact was that beings, who were far more powerful than the female warriors, quaked in their boots at his approach. And yet the fact that these women carried on with their lives and paid little attention to him was a testament to their character. Or a showcase of their ignorance.

His guards followed behind him resolutely, two watching him while the other two watched their surroundings.

For the last two days he had followed the same routine. Just as the sun rose across the horizon, he awoke and began the day by starting his training workout. Then, he visited the library in the morning to read about this world and the Amazons. After the sun crossed its highest point in the sky, he went and watched the Amazons train in the afternoon before he ‘ate’ in the evening and finally he retired for the night. It was extremely boring. While he found the culture of the Amazons interesting, he soon found himself restless. It had been too long since he had tested his combat skills and he did not want to lose his edge. When he had trained with Wilson for the first time he had said that combat was the best way to find out about a person's nature. While he did not go round fighting everyone he met, the saying did have some credence to it. Plus the Amazons were a warrior culture at heart, and so he would be able to prove himself the way he had to the Mandalorians. His guards had not allowed him to visit the training grounds in the morning, as that was when their best warriors trained, who had subsequently requested that he not disturb them. The thought of tomorrow filled Revan with a feeling of anticipation he had not felt since his last big fight, a brawl in a certain underground tavern. 

The night sky was alight with shining stars when he finally got to his temporary quarters, which was an isolated building on the outskirts of the lower city. It was located towards the edge of a small cliff. His guards took up their positions outside his building. Two stood at the front while two went to stand round the back. Outside the front of the building was nothing special. There was just a magical bin that took his rubbish somewhere and some uninspired plants. 

Inside the building was a singular room with an ensuite bathroom. The room was large though all it contained was a large white bed, an old desk and a chair made from some kind of wood. Three of the walls had large open air windows to allow light in and gave an unimpeded view of the island. All of the walls also had doors in. Starting at the entrance, the door to the left was the balcony which stood above the cliff, the next one clockwise led to the garden, while the last one led to a small bathroom. The bathroom had a shower, a toilet, a sink and some kind of washing machine, all cut from solid stone. The washing machine had no electronics which he could see, and so like the bin outside, he guessed it was magical.

The garden was just big enough to allow him the room he needed should he wish to practise his martial prowess. It also had a towering cliff rising up sharply at the end of it. A crystal clear waterfall fell from the top of the cliff into a small lagoon of clear water. The building also had a balcony overlooking the west of the island, and due to its height, had quite the view. In the distance, his ship and his people waited for him. Furthermore, due to where the dwelling was located, there was only a singular path which led to it from the rest of the city, hampering anyone’s ability to sneak around. 

Revan was not just anyone though. 

Checking his room as he always did when entered, he found nothing was out of place. His armour was on the stand that he had requested, which stood in the far corner like a shadow hiding in the darkness. His Mandalorian knife set was placed on the desk next to the window overlooking the garden in an orderly fashion, with a gap in between the third and fourth one. He really needed to get the ‘Knife of the Heart’ back. He had only meant to give it to Kara as a weapon to survive, not as a permanent gift. Plus he felt a little stupid walking round with a empty sheath.

On the floor next to the desk was a pile of books he had borrowed from the library, each with something new to learn inside. As he approached his armour stand, he slipped his black robe off and hung it from the stand and thoroughly checked it for dirt and damage. He then checked the holo computer in his gauntlet to see if he had any urgent communications. There weren’t any, which didn’t surprise him. He had told the people on his ship that they were to only contact him if something was seriously wrong. And Deema would contact him in a different way anyway if he needed to.

There were no lights or candles in the room as Revan could see fine in the dark, though it did do little for the drabness of the room. The only colourful addition to the room was the red rug laying in front of his bed.

Revan peeled off his thin adaptive environmental suit and left it strewn across the desk, which was followed by his undergarment and made his way into the bathroom. To be honest with himself, he felt vulnerable when he washed, especially in a strange place. No weapons, no armour and no mask. It was the opposite of how he had lived for the last four years of his life. After he had washed, dried himself and put underwear on, he followed the same routine as he had the last couple of nights. He kneeled on the soft rug and began to meditate to pass the time, fully immersing himself within the welcoming feeling of the force.

**   
  
**

**Kara **

****   
  


For the first time since being on Themyscira, Kara awoke in her room feeling refreshed and ready for her day. The sun was finishing its ascent as she sat in the communal eating room. She had actually talked to some Amazons while she ate, improving her mood even more. Of course it was about the resident man, but it was a conversation nevertheless, for which Kara was grateful. She washed herself before she donned her brown leather armour over the white bodysuit that she had kept from the watchtower and then grabbed her knife from the stand beside her bed, before slipping it into a sheath at her waist. After that, she headed to the training grounds with a skip in her step and a confident smile. 

The last few days she had been feeling different in training. She had been more focused and it showed, with her quick thinking and her quicker reactions. For the first time Artemis had actually complemented her move in which for the first time Kara had outsmarted the Amazonian battlemaster. She had also begun to finally take a liking to the warrior, in a sort of strange way. Whereas before her comments and her attacks had seemed like she had been picking on her, now she was actually explaining the moves to Kara and was encouraging. Kara now looked forward to seeing her as she entered the training arena, her usual meeting place with the fierce Amazonain. 

The training arena was a large sand circle with a high marble stand which stretched around half of it, allowing spectators seats should they wish to watch. Fixed onto the stands at the arena level were weapon racks with a multitude of weapons such as spears, swords and shields. Kara had read that some ancient cultures on Earth had hosted huge contests in arenas twice the size of this with tens of thousands of spectators. The thought amazed her and overwhelmed her at the same time. 

She looked around and didn’t see Raina anywhere. Her timekeeping was appalling, always late to anything, especially training. Kara would just have to start without her, as she did most days.

And yet all that came crashing down as she felt something twist in her stomach. As she gazed up at the marble stands, Revan’s pale and gaunt form sat there on his own taking in the arena with a sombre expression. His skin had a little more colour to it than it had when he first arrived, though it was still more grey than a healthy skin colour. It was odd to see him here as she had only seen him in passing and in the eating hall. It was odder still that he was without his usual guards next to him. The twenty Amazons that were training in the arena paid him no attention, instead they were practicing their drills as if on display for him. Kara thought about leaving and coming back later but thought better of it. She would show that she would not be intimidated by him. And so now she marched forward as if ready to go to war. The skip in her step now replaced with steady footsteps of determination.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at Kara as she turned to face her, taking in her focused look. “Looks like you’re ready for a real fight,” commented Artemis with a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She was dressed in a stunning silver armour chest piece which it hurt to look at, as it was so bright. On it were engravings of all the victories Artemis had fought in. Some of the engravings were battles with men and others with hideous monsters. 

“I didn't realise we would be having spectators today,” Kara said with a huff, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at Artemis.

“What do you mean?” said Artemis, confused as she glanced left and right. 

Kara nodded up to the marble stand in which Revan was still sitting. He was now staring at the two of them, his head cocked at an angle, just as it had been when they had first met. 

Artemis turned round and immediately tensed as she caught sight of the offending party. Gripping her spear tightly, she marched over to the stand and looked up angrily at the young man. Kara stayed where she was in the centre of the arena and used her enhanced hearing to listen to the conversation.

“What are you doing here? Where are your guards?” Artemis shouted angrily at Revan, her eyes not leaving him for a second. By now the other Amazons had turned after hearing the commotion and made their way to stand behind Artemis, all warily watching Revan.

“I was told this is when the best warriors were training and so came down to observe. Is there something wrong with that?” Revan replied evenly, as he talked down to the gathered Amazons.

“And what of your guards?” Artemis repeated, narrowing her eyes at the man.

Revan glanced left and right before he looked into the distance behind Kara and frowned. Kara looked behind her to see four of Revan’s guards come jogging into the arena looking rather annoyed. By now the whole training arena had come to a halt, all interested in the developing standoff between Revan and Artemis. Revan turned his attention back to Artemis and nodded to where the guards were entering. “Where I left them,” he said, though there was no humour in his voice. The guards soon joined Revan in the stand with one of them shouting at him to not do something like that again. Revan just stared straight ahead, as if he was used to receiving lectures for breaking rules.

After the guard had finished telling off Revan, Artemis spoke firmly, “I think you have seen all you needed to see. It is time for you to leave.” Kara had heard Artemis speak like that before on the beach. It was her commanding voice that she used when either she was settling an argument between Amazons or drilling the warriors in large numbers. Yet, unlike the Amazons, her voice appeared to have little impact on Revan, who just simply sat there and regarded her with an amused glint in his eyes. It made Kara feel uneasy. 

“On the contrary, I would like to see what the Kryptonian is capable of,” Revan countered slowly, weighing his words carefully.

Before Artemis could reply, Kara stepped forward and shouted to them, “Let him watch.” 

All of the Amazon’s bristled at her statement, obviously uncomfortable with this sudden change to their training. Artemis stormed over to Kara and grabbed her roughly by her arm and pulled her away. “That man is a danger to us all, especially you. He is here to watch you, isn't that obvious? Do not play his games like a child.” Artemis spat at her with a hiss. 

Kara wrenched her arm free from Artemis and stared down her combat instructor. The older woman’s gaze bit into her but Kara did not flinch. “I am not a child, Artemis. Now I came here to train, and that’s what I intend to do,” Kara said slowly in a low voice. Her heart rate increased as she saw Artemis’ eyes flare up at her statement and realised that she was challenging Artemis in front of other Amazons, and to make it worse, in front of Revan. But she would not let him win.

“Fine, arm yourself,” Artemis snarled, though her eyes were filled with anticipation which made Kara nervous. She had thought that they would do as they had done the last couple of days, which was practise forms, not a duel as they had done prior to that. The Artemis in front of her now was not who she had trained with the last few days. 

Kara felt apprehension slowly start to take hold of her as she walked over to pick up a weapon from the racks fixed onto the marble stand. As she took a sword, she glanced up at Revan who was sitting above her, scowling at Artemis as if he was analysing her every movement. Kara swung the blunt sword around, trying to get used to its weight in her hands. Like most of the weapons she had used, it never felt balanced to her. Fortunately, due to her super strength, the weight was never a problem. However, this sword’s hilt was uncomfortable and unwieldy to her. She looked back up to Revan to see him frowning at her, his face was a brewing storm, though Kara did not know why. Before she could ask, Artemis’ impatient voice rang across the arena, 

“Whenever you’re ready Kara.”

Kara rolled her eyes at the barbed comment and spun on her heel in the sand and made her way to the left side of the arena. Artemis was waiting on the right side. The rest of the Amazons all gathered on the side opposite the stands, all talking about the morning’s strange events. Kara paid them little attention, though did pick up the general feeling that the Amazons had never seen Artemis this angry before. As she took up her position, she felt a calmness overcome her like a wave, which helped her focus on her opponent. 

“The first to yield,” instructed Artemis confidently, drawing her sword with a smoothness which was a testament to her experience.

Kara just nodded and readied herself for the fight. Artemis immediately charged, her face emotionless. Kara let her come to her, readying her blade to meet that of Artemis. While Kara could utilise her speed and strength against Artemis, she had learnt her lesson the first time she had tried it. Artemis had still beaten her even with Kara using her abilities, and Artemis had said to ‘learn to walk before you try to run’ and so Kara resisted the urge to use her super speed and super strength. Instead she tried to fight with guile, as she knew she could not match Artemis’ technique with a blade.

Kara met the first blade evenly before stepping back and dodging the second and third strike. It was clear to Kara that Artemis sought to end this fight as quickly and efficiently as possible. Kara kept retreating, controlling the space between her and Artemis well, only being hit a couple of times by Artemis. Kara knew from experience that the longer the fight drew on the more confident Artemis would become. After a minute of dodging and parrying, the fight had already lasted longer than any of the other duels she had had with Artemis. The air seemed to ripple where Artemis’ blade would be, allowing Kara to dodge or parry accordingly.

Frustration was growing in the eyes of her adversary as she blocked and then parried two lightening quick stabs. Her heart was pumping loudly in her ears as the adrenaline of the fight fuelled her body. Grit was starting to get into her footwear with all the sand she was kicking up. Artemis’ left side was becoming more and more open as her strikes became more and more complicated, with unnecessary feints and spins too quick for Kara to punish. The air seemed to ripple only where the blade would be, no matter the deceit intended by Artemis.

Finally, Kara had an idea as she saw an opening when Artemis jabbed her blade towards her left leg. Kara parried Artemis’ blade past her leg with two hands on the sword, but then quickly stepped forward forcing Artemis to block the slash from her sword, which carried both blades to the right of Kara’s body. The only difference between the two adversaries in that moment was that while Kara slashed at Artemis with her blade, she only had her right hand gripping the sword. Her left hand however, while moving past the dagger sheathed at waist, had grabbed it and now nestled itself next to Artemis’ neck. 

Pride, excitement and satisfaction washed over Kara as she smiled victoriously at Artemis. Indignation was written all over the face of the Amazonian warrior, who was seething at having lost. Kara looked over to the Amazonian crowd which was silent as they took in the result of the duel before them. Most of their faces held shock while some had smirks adorning their faces, which they were trying to hide. Maybe Artemis wasn't as well-liked as she thought.

As Kara took in the crowd of Amazons behind Artemis, she did not see the indignation on her opponent’s face switch to rage. Her only warning was a snarl before her legs were taken out from underneath her and a punch was driven into her gut, ejecting the air from her lungs. She struggled to breath as she looked up at the now irritatingly smug smile of Artemis who loomed over her. Kara recognized the blade in Artemis’ right hand; it was her blade! The blade must have fallen out of her grasp when she had fallen to the floor. Artemis was inspecting the blade twisting in the sunlight, though the movements were exaggerated like she was a child showing off a new toy. Shouts came from behind Kara as she struggled to get her breathing under control, but suddenly she heard a pair of boots landing softly in the sand behind her.

“That blade is not yours to take,” said a voice full of rage. 

Kara came to a sitting position and looked behind her to see Revan located on the pale sand beneath the stand, his face a storm and his body tense. The air seemed to swirl around him, with little lines of sand kicking up from the ground.

“Give it to me.” Revan held out his pale hand, the veins like vines running up his hand and disappearing into the sleeve.

“Who are you to make demands of me, man?” Artemis replied hotly, displeased with his interruption. Kara heard the Amazons behind her draw their weapons and ready themselves for conflict. By now Revan’s guards had come and joined them all on the sand, their swords and shields raised, pointing at Revan.

“That knife belongs to my people_ , _” Revan growled menacingly, the words harsh on his tongue as his hands clenched at his side ignoring the ring of steel that pointed in his direction. Kara looked back round to Artemis and saw the same confusion she felt at the words. They meant nothing to Kara and apparently they meant nothing to Artemis as well. 

“What are you saying? Kara is not one of your people,” Artemis questioned carefully, looking unsure. All the Amazons were glancing between Revan and Artemis to gauge their faces, as if they held some clues as to how this argument was going to end.

Revan sighed in frustration.

“Last chance,” was all Revan responded with, not bothering to explain himself. Kara slowly stood up, unsure what to do as she was in the middle of the brewing storm. She slowly picked up her sword and backed out of the no man’s land between Revan and Artemis, trying to regain her composure. Her breathing was now back under control, but everything around her was anything but. Revan’s dark eyes were unmoving and unrelenting, boring into the very soul of Artemis. The image of Revan standing there made her remember the beach and the similar standoff Revan and the Amazons had had only days before.

Only this time there was no Cypher to quell the tensions. Kara attempted to try but due to her being too slow to form the words, Artemis beat her to it.

“Lets see what you’ve got, man. No weapons, first to yield,” said Artemis with a confident smile, tucking Kara’s blade into a pocket of her armour. Kara couldn't quite work out what was happening, her mind was still cloudy from the earlier surprise attack. She looked to Revan and while he did not smile, he had a glint in his eye. Artemis looked behind and pointed to two Amazons who stood ready. 

“This is your training today warriors, fighting an unknown threat. You two will go first,” she pointed to two of the younger Amazons. “For the Amazons!” cried Artemis, earning a cheer from the eager warriors ready to prove their martial prowess over the man. The guards around Revan stepped back and sheathed their swords, however they kept a watchful eye over him.

As Kara’s mind cleared, she recognised the two Amazons as sisters, though she could not remember their names. She knew that they were tricky to fight however; the smaller of the pair was the better dualist, the bigger of the two was the heavy hitter who tried to position herself on the blindside of the opponent while they were fighting the smaller one. While alone they were competent warriors, together they were a dangerous pair. 

_‘Duly noted,’ _ a voice rang in her head. It seemed what Revan was doing to block their connection had stopped. She felt something come alive inside her, like a stream had began to flow again, though it was still slow, as if still partially blocked.

_'Stop this, this doesn't have to end in a fight, _’ she tried, shouting the words in her mind. Kara looked back to Revan and though he hadn't moved, she could feel him preparing himself.

_‘This WILL be a fight,’ _ his voice thundered back. He was staring at the smaller one, a predatory look across his pale and gaunt face. And now he also knew what type of enemy he was going up against. Kara realised two things. She could definitely communicate with Revan by saying thoughts in her head and the second thing was that she had never seen him really fight before and did not know what to expect. 

Despite herself she found she was feeling excited at what was about to happen. She quickly quashed that feeling, knowing that she could not get caught up in her emotions like everyone else. Kara thought about stepping in between the two parties; she couldn’t see this ending well. The Amazons did not know who they were dealing with. Just as she took a step forward, Revan’s voice boomed inside her head. 

_‘Don’t you dare Kara Zor-El,’ _ he warned. _ ‘I need this, as do the Amazons. Sometimes fighting is the best way to learn about the people you're with. Watch and learn,’ _he snarled, his voice eager for conflict

The two sisters stepped up past Artemis and confidently approached Revan. The smaller of the Amazons got to Revan first and stared him down, meeting his challenging stare. The larger one hung a few steps back and slowly made her way to the left, like a stalking predator. The arena was quiet as the opponents faced off. Furthermore, a slow trickle of other Amazons arrived and slowly started to fill up the stand, creating an even more charged atmosphere.

Kara felt it before she saw it. The air changed, no longer was it building energy, it was releasing it. Revan leapt at the smaller of the two, as quick as lightning, and engaged her with a flurry of punches and finished with a kick to the woman's temple. He moved with such speed and grace that it was clear that he had been in many fights before. 

Even to Kara he was quick, though it wasn't as quick as she could go with her super speed. By the time the larger Amazon had even got close to Revan, the smaller one’s body hit the floor, out cold. Kara could still hear her heartbeat, so she wasn't dead, which was a relief to her.

Faced with one more, Revan turned to her and walked towards her, his focus solely on the Amazon. Kara felt sorry for her. 

_'Never feel sorry for someone you’re fighting. That only leads to your own death,’ _ Revan lectured in her mind. Kara rolled her eyes at his statement, partially annoyed at his lecture and partially annoyed at him for reading her thoughts.

_‘Do you really have time to read my thoughts and lecture me when you’re in the middle of a fight?’ s _he asked sarcastically in her mind. She was not sure how the link they shared worked. He seemed to be able to read her thoughts whenever he wanted, and yet she never heard anything from him. Maybe he could only hear certain thoughts, unless she shouted it in her mind. 

_'Oh! This is not a fight yet,’ h _e replied, bearing down on the remaining Amazon with a yellow tinge to his obsidian irises.

The Amazon to her credit, did not show fear, and with an almighty roar she met Revan halfway. Revan dodged the punches easily, moving his body with the fluidity of flowing water, never stopping. Nevertheless, when Revan went on the offensive, it was like a tsunami, smashing again and again at his target. In all of ten seconds the larger Amazon collapsed holding her stomach, her face already swelling from the punches she had received.

Revan stood over her body, his black robe had a bit of sand on it, but other than that it was unmarked. The only indication that showed he had even had a fight was a slight cut on his right hand that was bleeding lightly. He returned to the centre of the arena and faced Artemis. There was no smile, just a passion for violence simmering in his eyes.

The arena was stunned into silence underneath the noon sun, but soon they burst into cheers, impressed by Revan’s capability. The crowd was growing all the time round the edge of the arena. The stands were nearly half full, some dressed in armour and others dressed in their civilian clothes. There were now a few Amazons also gathered around her on the sidelines, all shouting and cheering at the spectacle in front of them. Kara felt that this was what one of the ancient arenas of Earth’s history would have felt like. The two injured Amazons were quickly removed by people on the edge of the arena who were eager for the fight to continue. The air around Kara was like nothing she had ever been a part of before. She had seen some processions on Krypton, but they were usually dull marches and boring speeches. There was so much anticipation in the air; it was surreal.

Kara turned back to focus on Artemis, who regarded Revan with a slight smile, relishing that they had a skilled warrior in their midsts to test themselves against. Another three Amazons stepped forward this time and took up positions in front of Revan. And so the next battle was set.

_ ‘Any advice for this one?’ _Revan’s voice echoed in her head, startling her. Kara still felt bad about the other two Amazons meeting their demise so quickly because of her. 

_ ‘I thought you were a fearsome warrior. You shouldn’t need my help,’ _Kara shot back, more aggressively than she had intended.

_ ‘I don’t,’ _was all he said before the fight began again. It was a much slower affair this time. Revan took his time, jumped in and out of fights and controlled the arena. He somehow managed to always isolate one from the others, either when they were trying to flank him or were taking a step back. 

Kara was shocked at the brutality at which Revan attacked the Amazons compared to the first fight. She thought that the Amazons would take action against Revan’s brutality, yet they seemed to love it even more. He broke one Amazon’s arm and another's leg, both of which produced a sickening snapping sound which Kara felt queasy at, whereas the Amazons gasped and roared with every sickening crunch. Soon, all three Amazons were laying, bleeding onto the sandy arena floor groaning in pain, with Revan once again still standing. Revan fought in a way that almost seemed noble. Not once did he soften his strikes or rely on dirty tricks. Once again he was mostly unscathed, except for a cut on his right cheek. To Kara’s astonishment, the cut on Revan’s hand had already healed. Only a thin line remained.

The crowd once again roared into life. It had now grown to fill the entire stands with still more people coming in from the city. Kara even spotted Donna Troy looking on from the stands, smiling. “Hey, what’s… Oh, this is actually happening!” Cried Raina having just arrived.

Kara didn’t even turn to greet her, the noise of the arena was deafening as she struggled to control her sensitive hearing. Fortunately for Kara, the crowd soon died down again. With haste, the fallen Amazons were dragged away and treated on the sidelines. She heard one of the healers say none of their injuries were life threatening. Something inside her almost felt like it was growing with each fight, punch and kick. She knew that she should not be finding this exciting, but due to the supercharged atmosphere and Revan’s elegant and eye-pleasing fights, she found she could not tear her eyes away. 

_ ‘Are you going to help this time?’ _Revan asked in her head, as Artemis was choosing another four fighters. 

_ ‘Why were you so brutal?’ _ asked Kara, still hearing the horrifying snap in her ears while also ignoring his question.

_ ‘You take no chances with an unknown opponent. If it makes you feel better, they would have done the same to me,’ _ replied Revan casually as if talking about the weather.

Kara saw the four Amazons who had been chosen and recognised them straight away. They were a group who had always ostracised her for being an outsider and were the ones she overheard blaming her for Revan’s arrival. Just seeing them made Kara’s blood run hot with rage, as she still hurt over that comment.

_ ‘What was that?’ _ Revan asked in her head, though for the first time his voice was strained. 

_ ‘What was what?’ _ Exclaimed Kara confused at his question. The amount of conversations she was having in her head were making it hurt. After this event was over, she would demand answers of Revan or so help him.

_ ‘Your anger was flooding the bond, it makes it harder to concentrate.’ _

_ ‘Wait, what bond?’ _ Kara said even more confused. Her frustration was mounting due to Revan’s inability to answer her questions. The crowds around her was starting to fade into the background as she was engrossed in the stage before her. She didn't even know how she was doing it, though it did not escape her notice that Revan had closed his eyes and seemed to be meditating.

_ ‘I’ll answer your questions if you help me,’ _ Revan propositioned in return, once again avoiding the question. Knowing that was the best answer she was going to get, Kara agreed to it. She then thought of all she knew of the combatants, citing any strengths or weaknesses she knew of them. Nevertheless, she was still angry and confused at how hard it was to get Revan to talk about anything. Why was he so mysterious all the time?

Over the next thirty minutes, the group of four Amazons fell, as did the group of five and finally the group of six after them. Each time Kara briefed him on what she knew of the opponents. Most of what she told him was correct, though she did get a few wrong which Revan was not too impressed about. Yet it didn't change the result. The arena was now full to the brim of excited spectators, all waiting for something. However Kara didn't see what else was to come, as all of the twenty Amazons that had been in the arena training had been defeated. 

Yet there was one still standing in the middle.

Artemis herself. 

She was looking at Revan with something that Kara had never seen on her face before. It was that of excitement and anticipation. Her eyes regarded Revan with something akin to respect. Was Revan really going to challenge one of the Amazons’ greatest warriors?

_ ‘Of course.’ _

She jumped a little at his voice, still not used to whatever bond the two shared. Revan himself looked worse for wear, as his face had a couple of cuts and bruises with a swollen top lip. Wiry black hair was plastered to his forehead and the rest of his hair was slicked with sweat, giving a glossy sheen as it hugged his head. 

Though he had won the fights comfortably, each one had left its mark on him. His knuckles were adorned with little cuts and swollen patches, with fresh crimson blood dripping from them onto the sand. He showed no awareness of the pain that must be screaming across his body. His chest heaved as he waited patiently for his last opponent to step forward. The black irises of his eyes were surprisingly calm, though they held an animalistic edge to them. For the first time since Kara had seen him, he looked content. The battlefield really seemed to be his home.

Over the previous fights, what Revan had described as a ‘bond’ started to make sense to Kara. She knew that force users had access to abilities that many would deem unnatural. Could it really be that he had created some sort of force bond between the two of them? The more she thought about it, the more it made her feel uncomfortable. As the fights had progressed, the bond seemed to open between her and Revan, allowing her to sense what he was going to do next and how he was feeling. Yet she still did not hear any of his thoughts. The strangest thing however, was that when he was hit, she felt it. Not physically, but she could feel his pain. Though she didn't have any marks or injuries, she felt like it was her in the ring rather than him. 

_ ‘You’re a quick learner, that’s good,’ _ said Revan tiredly in her mind. She didn’t really understand why he had said that, but he didn’t elaborate on it. The tension around the arena was mounting as the six moaning Amazon’s were taken away. Kara did not know whether she had done the right thing in aiding Revan, but if it made the Amazons’ injuries less severe, then she felt it was the right thing to do.

“So, you have proven yourself worthy. Do you wish to end this here? There is no shame in admitting you can't go on.” Artemis began confidently, flexing her muscles as she warmed up. Kara noted that her speech was for the crowd’s benefit as much as Revan’s. She also knew enough of Revan to know he would not back down, as he was a warrior at heart. Yet, he managed to surprise her. 

“For how long have you overseen Kara Zor-El’s training?” queried Revan, his face emotionless, despite the yellow glint in his eyes. The question cast a blanket of silence across the entire arena. The once roaring crowds were reduced to a stunned stillness, all looking unsure about the sudden question. Kara felt uneasy at the question and sensed that it was going to lead somewhere. Over the bond, she felt something she had never felt before. Maybe Revan had been blocking or suppressing it before, but now it was there in its raw form.

Rage.

Pure unadulterated rage.

Artemis, the excited look on her face replaced with a cold stare, gritted her teeth. 

Kara didn't understand what was going on. Why was Revan questioning that of all things?

“Two months.”

Revan scoffed, his rage building. Kara started to feel angry too. Obviously Revan’s agitated state was affecting her through the bond. Does that mean he could influence her emotions as well she wondered. This was getting scarier for Kara by the minute. The cold grip of fear started to spread inside her. 

For the first time since Krypton, she truly felt scared. The man responsible for the destruction of her world was able to see inside her head, to talk inside her head and now influence her emotions. Her stomach churned with anxiety, trying to escape. Her breathing started to increase rapidly as she started to panic.

_ ‘Get a grip, Kara,’ _ Revan instructed over the bond, though this did little for Kara. Her eyes threatened to spill tears, as bile scorched the back of her throat. She felt numbness all over her body, the gentle breeze now a cold gale.

_ ‘Where is the strong Kryptonian I met on Krypton three years ago. The one WHO survived the destruction of her world against all the odds. The one who was strong enough to stand up in front of three cultures and two armies to tell them I had lied. The ONE who told me to bring it on, despite knowing who I am and what I had done. WHERE IS SHE?’ _Revan’s voice physically shook her body, as it thundered through her head.

It did however bring her out of her downward spiral.

“Kara. Kara are you okay? You spaced out there for a second,” Raina asked gently from behind her.

Kara slowly regained control of herself. She would not be cowed; she was a Kryptonian. Greatness ran through her blood. And she was more than capable of dealing with Revan.

“I’m fine, just, it’s strange, seeing him,” Kara replied.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

_ ‘I am not your enemy here. I am trying to show you that,’ _Revan exclaimed with genuine frustration.

Kara did not know how to reply.

“Two months and yet Kara does not fight like any Amazon. The very basic footwork is the same, yet nothing else. How is that?” Revan said angrily.

“She is a slow learner,” said Artemis quickly, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

Revan’s fists clenched at his side as he struggled to control his anger. Kara herself felt aggravated by the unnecessary barb, and started to see what Revan was trying to show her. She didn’t want to believe it, but the signs had been there from the beginning. The distance, the isolation and the terrible first months of training all started to make sense now. 

They did not want her here.

Anger and frustration started to burn through Kara like a wildfire. She had never done anything wrong to them and yet they rejected her. Revan, in three days, had made more headway into the Amazons’ society than she had in two months. And her own family member had stuck her here, as had the other Leaguers. They all just wanted her out of the way so they didn't have to deal with her. She was a burden to everyone.

“Don’t listen to her,” said Raina angrily from beside her.

“No, she is not. She told me everything about each combatant I faced. Their strengths, their weaknesses and she was right, most of the time. While you stood and stroked your egos about being able to best an untrained Kryptonian, she watched you and learnt how you fight. With proper training she would annihilate your pitiful warriors,” Revan shouted across the arena to all the Amazons, his powerful voice echoing across the city. He took a breath as he tried to control himself, his dark eyes looked murderous in the sunlight. Kara was receiving some cold looks from most of the Amazons, while to her surprise some were giving her sympathetic glances.

“I take it the Queen is not aware of this injustice?” Revan shouted to the stands.

Artemis stayed silent.

“No, she is not,” replied Donna Troy from the stands, who was frowning at Artemis, disappointment and anger evident on her face.

Revan nodded in acknowledgement. Kara felt a little of his anger subside, though she was still fuming at the Amazons’ treatment of her.. Yet again, Revan’s gaze fell to Artemis. 

“So now I challenge you Artemis. Regain at least some pittance of your honour and face me,” he snarled, his face contorted in rage. The bruises on his face had healed now, but his top lip was still an ugly yellow and his hands still dripped with blood, as he pointed at Artemis. Kara wanted Revan to fight Artemis, just feel something instead of the hate and fear from what she had realised today. She wanted a distraction. 

And by Rao she got one. 

Artemis charged Revan with a growl like an angry bull. Her feet pounded against the sand as she quickly approached him. The arena then roared into life again like a fire reignited. The arena was now overflowing with spectators, all sides of it were swamped by Amazons, all pushing and shoving to get a better view. Yet all Kara was focused on was the clash of the titans in front of her. 

Revan dodged the first kick, but was caught by the follow up one, which crashed into his ribs. Yet, Revan seemed to be fuelled by the pain, his punches became quicker as he caught Artemis once across the jaw and once in her stomach. He no longer cared about being hit as he stood toe to toe with the Amazon, trading blow for blow. To Kara’s frustration, Artemis held her own against Revan, matching the speed of his strikes and narrowly missing his powerful kicks. Revan got one powerful kick to Artemis’ left knee, though she recovered quickly. Kara could feel the thundering of Revan’s rage over the bond. Both opponents’ hands and feet were a blur, even Kara struggled to watch them. After a while, despite his willful fighting, Artemis started to gain an edge over Revan in speed, and with another kick, to his chest this time, she knocked him back a few metres.

The crowd went silent as Revan landed motionless on the sand, face down. Kara felt fatigue come over her then, as if it had been her in the fights. Her muscles started to ache, a tingling sensation spreading through them. It was unlike any other ache she had felt before. Kara felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her own lungs, though hers were still full of air. She didn’t quite know what was happening, but she guessed it was something to do with the bond.

Revan was was still motionless. Angered and tired from all of today’s events, she really wanted Artemis to lose. She tried to tell Revan to think, to fight smartly through their bond. He had stood up for her in front of all these people, when he didn't need to. He had saved her from the destruction of her world when he had not needed to.

So she tried to help him.

She thought of how he was supposed to be the most feared warrior in the galaxy. Yet this man was a shadow of his former great self. His body sickly and decayed. She told him to show them that the real Revan was still somewhere in there.

A moment passed and nothing happened.

Kara hoped that what she said was powerful enough to get him back on his feet.

Another moment passed and still nothing happened. 

Revan wasn’t getting up. _ ‘Get up, damn you!’ _ she thought furiously, powerless to do anything. 

And yet another moment passed and still nothing happened.

Artemis started to limp over to him, relying on her left leg for support, due to the kick Revan had delivered earlier. 

Another moment passed and finally Revan moved, though all he did was roll over onto his front and watch as his doom came upon him. His face and black robe were coated in sand as was his messy black hair.

Artemis reached him and kicked him in his ribs, causing a painful looking exhale of air to be ejected from his lungs. She rolled him over and pulled him up by his robe, face to face with her. Kara felt like collapsing herself.

“Yield,” she growled aggressively. 

Kara screamed at him to fight through the bond, though she didn't realise till after the strange looks from the Amazons around her, that she had screamed it out loud.

“No,” Revan sneered, somehow managing to appear fearsome when he was held near motionless in his opponents grasp.

In reply Artemis punched him once in the jaw and then picked him up again to punch him on the temple. 

“Yield,” she said tiredly this time, her hands shaking from the exertion of pulling him up again.

Revan looked up dazed, his face bleeding at his mouth and forehead. How he was still conscious she did not know. To her and Artemis’ surprise, he then spat in Artemis’ face, showing his decision. Artemis’ face was now covered with crimson spots as Revan’s spit was now mixed with the blood that had flooded his mouth. 

Artemis shook her head and reared her arm back, ready to hit Revan again. 

Kara saw that Artemis was lining up Revan’s nose as the target. 

_ ‘Come on Revan.’ _

And yet Revan did nothing. The only sign of his awareness was that his eyes, which had lost their murderous look, never stopped staring at Artemis.

_ ‘Not like this,’ _ Kara thought helplessly. _ ‘Come on, don’t you dare give up.’ _

Everyone in the arena held their breath as Artemis swung her arm towards Revan to finish him off. And yet her arm never connected to his face. Revan, with his left arm, managed to shift the trajectory of Artemis’ punch to glance off of his left cheek. With her arm pulling her forward, Artemis crashed into the oncoming forehead of Revan before she could attempt to stop him. She slumped onto the floor next to Revan, her nose gushing blood onto the pale sand.

_ ‘That hurt,’ _Revan thought into her head, though his voice was disoriented, even through the bond. A cheer erupted from her when he rose above the fallen form of Artemis, rubbing his swollen and bleeding forehead. His eyes were not those of the Revan that had fallen to the ground. They were focused and controlled. Revan stood and regarded the silent arena around as if he had just awoken from a long dream.

Somehow Artemis, with struggling breaths, managed to stand and looked at Revan with astonishment. A look which was repeated on every Amazon’s face around the arena. Revan walked towards Artemis and easily dodged her futile attempt at a punch, before launching a powerful kick to her left leg, making her go to her knees before him. He reached down and took Kara’s knife from Artemis’ belt with his left hand and nodded to himself before grabbing her head with his right hand. The two broken and bloody warriors stared at each other nose to nose, their gazes burned into the other like lasers, so much being said with only a look.

Over the bond Revan was tranquil, like a calm ocean. No rage, no anger, just fulfillment.

He had won.

“You do your people proud. Take pride in that,” Revan whispered to her, his voice easy enough for Kara to hear due to her enhanced hearing. Everyone else looked on in shock as Revan finally dispatched Artemis with a powerful right hook to her temple, her body crumbling to the floor. Revan blinked a couple of times as if reminding himself of where he was before turning towards Kara. He then limped over to her, his right hand holding his ribs which were likely broken. 

In his left hand, her knife

He came to a stop before her, blood still trickling out of his wounds. His robe was damp with sweat or blood, Kara could not tell from the darkness of it. He offered her knife to her and tried to speak, though only a little blood came out and landed on the front of Kara’s armour. Ignoring the blood, she reached out and took the knife silently and slid it back into its familiar sheath. Revan stood there, regarding her with a sad look, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed onto the sand unconscious. 

The bond went completely silent.

Kara just stood there motionless as the arena watched, entranced by the scene that had played out before them. All of them confused and yet amazed at the same time. 

Yet when Kara fell to her knees from exhaustion, finally the rest of the Amazons sprung back to life and rushed to Artemis, Revan and her. She was vaguely aware of Raina calling to her, shaking her shoulders. 

Kara struggled to control her thoughts as the panic from earlier came back to seize control. All the thoughts of how powerful and dangerous Revan was were at the forefront of her mind. The thoughts that the Amazons and the League hadn't wanted her and just cast her aside threatened to crush her spirit. 

And yet this time she didn't let it overwhelm her. She took deep breaths, and focused on her own heartbeat. She slowly rose unsteadily from her knees, muscles shaking from exhaustion, to stand where Artemis and Revan had fallen.

She would not be cowed.

She was a Kryptonian.

And she was still standing.


	7. Spectres in the Mind

**Kara**

**   
  
**

It had been two days since the fight between Revan and Artemis, and yet Revan still hadn’t awoken. Kara had had the unfortunate task of sitting by his bedside in his room as he healed. According to the Amazonian healers, his tissue and bodily functions doubled their recovery rate with her close to him. Kara would have objected, but she had felt fatigued since that eventful day. 

They had added a small cot and an additional chair for her and promised as soon as Revan awoke that she would be able to leave. The other Amazons were all recovering from their numerous injuries in the Themysciran hospital. The Amazonians deemed it too inappropriate to place Revan in with their injured Amazons. Furthermore, he had sustained more serious injuries than the others, and so was placed in his room, where he could be easily treated. All of the Amazons were making slow recoveries, especially Artemis who had only awoken today.

_ ‘Revan really did a number on her,’ _ thought Kara, conflicted. On one hand, she was happy that Artemis had met her match and paid for her mistreatment of her. While on the other hand, she hadn’t wanted her to suffer as much as she had resulting in a weight of guilt on her shoulders. She was still a little shaken at the thought that she had been taken advantage of. These people were supposed to be good people, and yet they had not thought twice before taking advantage of her. It angered her still; her two days of inactivity had done little to temper her disdain at the way she had been treated. She had become quite curt and dismissive of most of the Amazons, her trust in them shaken.

The Amazons checked on them three times a day; in the morning, noon and evening. Revan’s guards still stood guard outside quietly, coming in to pass messages to her and check on them from time to time. Revan hadn’t had any meals, only water since his collapse, though the Amazons had tried to feed him. The first time they tried, they could not get his mouth to open. The next time they tried, they had managed to open his mouth and give him some food. However, Revan had then started to vomit violently, bringing the food back up. It was a haunting sight, as he laid there on the bed choking on his own vomit. Kara herself had felt queasy at the sight and had to leave the room, followed by the sound of his guttural retches. The Amazons had been able to stabilize his condition before any damage was done. Even after that traumatic episode, Revan didn't wake, his body just lay there as if in a deep sleep. Ever since then the Amazon’s had not bothered to try and feed him, seeing it as futile and unnecessary as his body was healing anyway. 

There had been a pleasant surprise when Donna Troy had visited her on the first day. She had come to talk to Kara about the previous day’s events. They ran through the events and talking points and Donna promised her that the perpetrators of her mistreatment would be dealt with. While Kara was thankful, she was still resentful that it had been allowed to happen in the first place. Either they had known and not cared, or they didn’t know because they did not care to see how she was doing. She respected Donna though, due to her straight talking nature. She was starting to see her as a friend, but she knew even that was pushing it.

Raina had popped in everyday to see how she was. She was a welcome distraction, telling Kara about the latest gossip and happenings in Amazonian society. While a lot of the Amazons seemed wary of Revan, Raina would stroll right up to his bed and poke him every time she came in, to see if he was really just pretending. Yesterday, she even managed to smuggle something called ice cream in to raise Kara’s spirits and she had found in this a new favourite food. Still Raina always left too soon, leaving Kara alone again.

Kara found herself eating more than she ever had. While she enjoyed eating, she felt like she was eating for two people and yet, she still felt tired and lax. It did not make any sense to her. She knew it was connected to Revan, though she did not know how. Her mind seemed tired as well, like a blanket of fog had fallen on it. She had never felt this way in the three days he was conscious, so she wasn't sure what was causing Revan to do this. Another strange thing was that her nightmares had all but vanished, leaving her sleeping peacefully for the first time since Krypton. It seemed every time she looked at Revan’s incapacitated form, a new puzzle revealed itself, further straining her frazzled mind.

The bond between her and Revan was silent, like a peaceful ocean, most of the time since the fight. She had felt a ripple through the bond a couple of times, however nothing ever came of it. His body just laid there, unmoving. 

He never moved. 

He never snored. 

He just breathed softly.

His face looked as peaceful as Kara had ever seen it, truly showing how young Revan was. Kara knew he couldn’t have been much older than her. His skin was no longer as grey and clammy as it had been when he had arrived. The island sun had done him some good. His skin still had a slight grey shade to it, though it was healthier. He had a slight stubble growth, its black hair a contrast to his pale face. His lips had some colour to them, no longer an ugly purple but a pale pink. Grime and sweat still filled his wiry black hair and that was the only thing that was unchanged since the beach, though that was probably due to it being unwashed since his fight.

The man healing in front of her was starting to look unnervingly similar to how he had on Krypton.

Despite knowing that it wouldn’t be a positive story, she had started to become intrigued by the man in front of her. An enemy of her people, yet he held no hate for her. In fact he had helped her twice. She knew that it wouldn’t be just for her sake though. Unfortunately, her questions would have to wait until he awoke. She knew that she could try and force him to answer her questions, but guessed that would be unlikely to work due to his already stubborn nature.

Kara remembered something then, something her mother had said to her once, when they were talking about the war, back on Krypton. Her mother had said that ‘Kryptonians do not ask, they take. It’s what got us into this mess,’ and Kara had taken that to heart. She had never really understood what it meant, but with the predicament in front of her now, she started to see what her mother had been trying to say. You push, something pushes back. She pondered that question for a while as she sat at the desk, looking out the doorway to the balcony.

The room was eerily quiet when it was just her and Revan’s unconscious form. The only sound came from outside the room with the wildlife of the island signing in chorus and the low rumble of the ever present waterfall. Kara felt like his armour watched the room ever vigilantly, a spectre hidden in the darkest corner of the room. The matching set of knives that her knife came from was also laid neatly on the table. Kara had studied each one carefully. They were all unique in their design, with different shaped grips and subtly different blades. Some were straight, while some were curved. One had a serrated edge while another ended on a sharp and deadly point. Each one had its purpose, and yet her one was a mix of all four, a hybrid. 

Though the knives weren’t what unsettled her the most. If anything, the knives, the armour and the books were the only things that represented that it was Revan’s quarters. Kryptonians had always been big on décor. She thought back to her home, the brightly coloured rooms and ornate art pieces that littered the mansion. Sorrow overtook her for a moment as she thought back to Krypton. A single tear fell down her cheek. Some nights, she hoped she would wake up to find that this had all been a bad dream. It was still such a big hole missing from her life. She tried to keep its memory alive by having a blue flower that matched the petals of the trees in her garden.

Composing herself, she looked around the room to see the only splash of colour was the red rug, which was the same unpleasant colour as the blood pool of her dreams. _ ‘Fitting that Revan’s only choice of colour was red due to his affinity with shedding it’ _ thought Kara amusedly. Strangely, she had yet to have any strange dreams since Revan had arrived on the island. In some ways it was a relief to actually be able to sleep solidly through the night without waking up in a cold sweat. And yet, having no dreams at all, just as Revan arrived. It was unnerving to say the least. It was one of many things she had to ask him when he awoke.

She had spent most of her time reading the books that Revan had been studying, to see if there was any clue as to why he had come to Earth and if there was anything about the force in any of the books. Kara knew it was a long shot, but it was not like she had anything else she could do. Yet there was nothing in the books. They were all books from Earth; a ‘History of the World’ and ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu and a dozen more. It was evident that Revan was more than just a warrior, as some of the books were philosophical, while others scientific, though these were less worn than the other books. He obviously had a great hunger for knowledge, quite like her own. While it was clear that the ‘The Art of War’ had been well read due to the worn pages, a ‘History of the World’ had one of the pages folded in the second half of the book. Kara turned to the page to be greeted by pictures of war and a map of the World describing World War Two. She wondered if Revan done anything which wasn’t tied to fighting or warfare.

Later on in the evening, after her evening meal which consisted of a tasty chicken stew, the sun had set and Kara settled down in her comfortable cot. She was dressed in her white body suit that she had taken from the Watchtower, not feeling comfortable wearing less next to the sleeping form of Revan. It wasn’t that she felt unsafe around him, after all he was an unconscious body who even should he wake, would still have weeks of recovery left. She also had her trusty knife on her at all times, nestled in its sheath on her hip. In truth, it was because her Amazonian sleeping garments hid very little, due to the openness of the society of the Amazons, and she wished to avoid that awkwardness should he come to. She slowly drifted off to sleep, wondering how many days it would be before he finally awoke and she would be able to finally get some answers.**  
**

A couple of hours later, with the moon providing an eerie glow that lit up the room, Kara awoke with a start. 

Something was wrong.

She didn’t know how, but she could feel it.

The room was deathly quiet. The only sound was the gentle rumble of the waterfall outside. Her eyes darted around to see if something was out of place. There were no intruders and nothing had been moved. Using her X-ray vision, she checked on the guards outside. To her relief they were upright and breathing. She sat there and listened for a while to reassure herself. Satisfied that it was just her imagination, she rolled over in her cot and tried to go back to sleep. Suddenly she felt inside her… soul. 

No.

It was something coming through the bond. She sat up and looked over to Revan’s unconscious form and frowned. Through the bond she felt a buzzing, though she did not understand what it meant. Was he trying to tell her something?

“Arrr. You two look…” The voice was cut off by Kara charging it and shoving it hard against the wall, hearing a crack. She then put her hands around its throat and pinned it there while it struggled to breath.

Kara recognised that voice. It was from the beach. The man who stood next to Revan. 

Cypher. 

The man was taller than her, wearing a dark trench coat and combat boots. Surprisingly, he did not fight her, he just had that snarky grin plastered on his reddening face. He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture, seemingly unbothered by his predicament. Kara’s anger was sizzling in her blood. She could only hear her heart thundering in her chest as she tightened her iron grip around one of the worst people in the galaxy. Underneath her hands she felt no skin, just a tingle, nothing more. 

A man who had terrorised her people.

She felt her knife at her hip, calling to her.

Cypher started to struggle, his arms tried to pry her grip away from his oesophagus. Though he still had his smirk on his face, it was strained now. She could hear his heart now, beating faster and faster in his chest. How could she not have heard any sound coming from him as he snuck up on her? His bulging eyes started to reveal the panic that he felt as he quickly started to run out of oxygen.

He smelt of nothing. No perspiration, no artificial smell, nothing.

Why was he here? 

Was he going to kill her?

Why didn’t he smell?

“Help... Revan,” Cypher gasped, seemingly reading her mind. Kara relaxed her grip slightly, allowing him to breathe again. How could she trust him? The man killed and manipulated for a living. She was tempted to just knock him unconscious and be done with it. Nothing good could come out of that slimy mouth of his. On the other hand, this might be a time where she could actually get answers from someone. 

Cypher landed on the floor with a thud and took in gulps air. A thought struck Kara as she wondered how the guards hadn’t heard their commotion. She took a look at them with her X- ray vision to find them exactly where they had been when she had last checked.

Exactly where they had been. They usually moved around a bit so as to not allow their muscles to fall asleep.

The guards did not fidget or turn their necks. They were hauntingly still, as if frozen in time. The only movement was the rise and fall of their chests. 

She turned back to Cypher, standing between him and Revan’s unconscious form, with a fear settling in her chest. He was gently massaging his sore neck with his hands, though for once he wasn't smiling.

“What did you do to the guards?” she said trying to keep calm, unnerved by the dangerous man splayed out in front of her. His snarky grin returned with that comment as he stood slowly, his hands up, trying to placate the situation. 

“Their fine, just in a drug induced state which will wear off by the time I leave. No lasting damage, I promise,” he replied simply with a shrug of the shoulders. His blue eyes, now the subtle panic was gone, had an intense light of mischief shining in them. 

“How do I know you are telling the truth?” Kara asked with a skeptical tone.

Cypher just rolled his eyes dramatically. 

“You don't trust me? That hurts,” he said sadly, hand clutching his chest. Kara was already fed up with his theatrics. How did Revan put up with this man? The look she conveyed stopped his acting though it did not remove the smirk from his face.

“I know what it does as I concocted it myself,” he said arrogantly, showing off a bottle of purplish liquid in his left hand. The bottle then disappeared into a pocket of his trench coat. Kara tried to see what else was inside his trench coat but it was blocked by something.

“Sorry, advanced shielding technology stops prying eyes,” he said knowingly. Kara huffed and tried to hide her embarrassment at being found out. Did he read her mind? Was Cypher also a force user? 

“Anyway,” Cypher continued, oblivious to the internal questions Kara had, “the real question is why is Revan laying in a bed unconscious? And why in this Galaxy are you sleeping in the same room as him?” he questioned intensely, pointing to Revan on the bed, obviously displeased. The three scars glinted in the moonlight on his face as he stared at her, waiting for a response. He glanced at her knife before he motioned her to speak, though there was something in his eyes that was unreadable to her.

Kara debated her options. She had released him to answer her questions rather than the other way around. But she did see Cypher’s surprise at the situation and wanted to make sure there was no doubt in what had happened. But this was Cypher she reminded herself. He could not be trusted at all. Thinking about it, knowing how big Cypher’s network was, Kara would have been surprised if he hadn’t already heard about what had happened.

“Revan picked a fight with twenty one Amazons and ended up unconscious. As for the second question, the Amazonian healers said he healed quicker when I was in close proximity to him,” she said firmly and folded her arms across her chest, feeling underdressed in that moment even though she had her bodysuit on. Cypher regarded her with intrigue, looking her up and down. His gaze reminded her of Nightwing’s, though where Nightwing’s gaze had a softness to it, Cypher’s held a manic but calculating edge to it.

“And you haven’t tried to kill him while he has been unconscious?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

“No. I have not,” Kara spat angrily, annoyed. She was trying so hard to be reasonable but he was making this difficult. His snarky smirk and sarcastic tone really rubbed her the wrong way. She would love to wipe the grin off his face.

“And why is that? That man was partly responsible for the near extinction of your entire people. And you're telling me that you don't want to kill him? Even just a little bit?” Cypher probed, emphasising the little bit with his fingers. 

“I… I don’t know. He saved my life and I need answers from him. I don’t want to kill him,” Kara replied quietly, looking to Revan on the bed. She wasn't really sure what she thought of Revan. He was supposed to be this big imposing figure of evil and yet he had done nothing evil while he was here. In fact, he was one of the only ones so far who had appeared to consider her side in something and actually do something about it. Not that she needed constant looking after, but it was… nice to have someone at least think of her wellbeing. 

Even if that man was a killer and partly responsible for her people’s annihilation.

Her head hurt thinking about this.

“If you want to, you can ask me…” Cypher offered gently which caught Kara off guard, bringing her attention back to him. His face looked genuinely concerned. Kara was about to take him up on his offer when she remembered who she was talking to. 

Cypher was Revan’s spymaster.

A master manipulator, who controlled people.

Someone who brought untold suffering to millions, if not more.

“I can never forget who you are and what you’ve done, you're a monster,” Kara said harshly. She reminded herself that this man was responsible for millions of Kryptonian deaths. 

Innocent Kryptonian deaths.

Cypher just laughed as if she had told a joke. “Your words mean as little to me as they do to everyone else. Tell me, was your cousin not happy to see you? Ah, what am I saying, he can’t have been to stick you here. And from what I’ve heard, you have not made many friends here either. Poor lonely little Kara, all alone in the big wide universe,” Cypher mocked venomously.

Kara felt anger rise in her chest at the insults, each one stoking the fire that threatened to consume her. Her fist clenched painfully as she started to shake. It took all her composure to not lash out at the insufferable man. She was so tempted to do it, it would be so easy. Disintegrate him with her laser vision, freeze him with her sub-zero breath or just physically break him.

And she knew that he must know this too. 

It made her even more terrified of this man, for someone to be so uncaring about their own safety.

And she knew if she did any of those things, it would doom her and probably the entire island. 

“Why are you here, Cypher?” Kara gritted out changing the subject, controlling her breathing. His face broke into a toothy grin, different to the emotions which it had shown. The look in his eyes almost looked like respect. 

Almost.

“Your Kryptonian hearing not kicked in yet? Though I do suppose it was hard to hear through my gasping breaths,” he answered sarcastically, pointing to his red neck with his hands.

Kara just stared him down without moving, fed up going round in circles with the annoying man. Cypher just smiled at her before saying, “You two are so alike,” eyes shining with mirth. Before Kara could reply, he made his way past her over to Revan’s bedside, taking out some kind of electronic device. Kara just frowned at the Spymaster and wondered what he was doing. Lights danced across Revan’s body with a greenish glow, making Kara uneasy. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not kryptonite. You can relax,” Cypher said not even looking at her. He pulled out a little pack of food and put it to Revan’s mouth, opening it. 

“That will not work…” Kara tried to say as she saw the horrific images of Revan writhing and spluttering in her mind. 

Cypher ignored her and slowly slipped the food into Revan’s waiting mouth. Kara just watched in utter surprise as Revan seemed to accept the food. 

“How?” Was all Kara could say.

“Due to unfortunate events in Revan's past, he only allows those who he trusts to feed him,” explained Cypher, looking down at Revan with a sad smile. It was the first true emotion that Kara had seen him express that wasn’t sarcasm or a sneer. 

“What happened to him?” Kara asked curiously.

“I’m afraid that is not my story to tell,” Cypher said cryptically, his voice quiet.

Kara sighed in frustration at another avoided question. “He is unconscious, how can he even control who feeds him?” She asked disbelievingly, looking at the incapacitated form of Revan. 

“His subconscious is always alert, even when unconscious. I’m not sure whether it’s chronic paranoia or he is always somewhat conscious due to the force,” Cypher said as he ran the scanning device up and down Revan again. A silence descended over the room then, with Kara letting him get on with his work. She watched him carefully, noting everything he did. His movements were practised, showing he had done this before.

Cypher opened up Revan’s robe and then peeled back his white under suit, showing an unhealthy black colour on the surface of the skin over his chest. Cypher raised his eyebrows looking at it, tutting as he smeared a blue gel over it. He paid special attention to Revan’s shoulders and hips, smearing the blue gel in an increased volume over them.

Even with the swelling of the bruising over Revan’s chest, Kara could tell he had a strong body. He was not overly bulky, but his muscles were clearly defined, showing that he took care of himself. Scars were also dotted over his chest, some deep while others were shallow. His hairless chest rose and fell softly.

“Careful or you’ll start drooling,”

Kara looked away with pink tinged cheeks, praying Cypher wouldn’t notice in the dark. Multiple rebuttals came to her but she couldn’t form an adequate response. She also thought about throwing one of the chairs at him but decided against it. In the end she huffed and looked back to see Cypher putting Revan’s robe back on with a massive smirk adorning his face, obviously pleased with himself. The sooner he left the better.

“He’ll be awake soon, probably another twelve hours. Expect a more grumpy than usual Revan, as it is most likely he will not be able to move,” Cypher said chuckling. Kara looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t thought that Revan would be awake anytime soon. And why was Cypher laughing at his friend being unable to move?

“And you're leaving him here? Aren't you supposed to protect him?” Kara questioned with a frown, suspicious.

Cypher’s face became serious very quickly, losing its smile as he stared menacingly at her. This was the man that was the terror of her people. 

She would not let herself be intimidated. 

“If I thought you or anyone else on this island was a serious threat to Revan, you would all be dead already,” he said darkly, stalking his way over to her. He came face to face with her, seemingly uncaring that he was in reach of her. Her neck suddenly itched but she fought the urge to scratch it, wanting to show that she was not bothered by his closeness. Though there was nothing fearsome about his appearance, the cold feeling of fear wormed its way through her, reminding her that this was still an extremely dangerous situation. He was trying to make her cower before him. 

Her heart beat faster as she stood before him, not backing down. She wondered how many people had stood there before him like this? How many of those had lived? 

Her body was a coiled spring, ready to be sprung at a moment’s notice.

“You’ve got a lot of questions, I understand that. I also hate not knowing things,” Cypher said as he backed away from her and turned to look at Revan’s still form, laying as if untouched by him. Kara noticed that his gaze always softened when he looked at Revan. Before she could ask him about it he started speaking again.

“Revan has the answers to your questions. I know he is not a fan of talking, but I'm sure you can find a way. You are a Kryptonian after all. All I ask is that you listen when he speaks. His story is not one to be shared lightly.” 

He walked over to the doorway with his trench coat swishing behind him. Just before he got there, he paused. “You look quite tired, you should rest.” Kara suddenly felt a wave of tiredness come over her, turning her muscles to jelly and her mind to fog. Though she fought it, she slowly succumbed to whatever Cypher had done, struggling to make it to her bed. She tried to look back at where he had been and found he was no longer there, just the stars shining in the night sky. As her eyes closed of their own accord, she heard the one last comment from the arrogant voice.

“Oh and you’re welcome by the way,” 

Her cot was welcoming as it embraced her once again, and Kara drifted off into another dreamless sleep, wondering what on Rao could she be thankful to Cypher for.

**Revan**

Everything hurt; His legs, his arms and especially his chest. Revan opened his eyes carefully as he was greeted with the plain white ceiling of his room, lit up by what he guessed to be daylight. Who knew how much time had passed?

He remembered most of the fight, up to the point that he headbutted Artemis, after that everything was fuzzy. All he could remember was he gave a knife to someone and that was it. He tried to sit up but couldn't, his arms and legs wouldn’t do as he commanded. On the bright side however, he could still feel them. His head and torso seemed to be the only thing he could move, which annoyed him. He thought that he couldn't have been that badly injured to be paralysed. The only reason he had collapsed in the first place was because of the lack of sleep and food. He could try and move his body with the force, but decided against it, wanting to save his strength.

A sigh escaped his lips in annoyance. 

He reached out through the force to see what was around him.

To his surprise he sensed the Kryptonian girl in his room watching him. Other than that, there were no guards outside and no one within a good distance. He also checked for any bugs or listening devices, but again, he came up empty.

It was only him and her. 

She was sitting on a newly placed cot over to his left.

“Well, get on with it then,” Revan said croaking, his voice not use to speaking. He did not even bother to try and defend himself.

“I’m not going to kill you,” came a dismissive reply.

“Don’t bother with torture…”

He heard an exasperated sigh from his left.

Revan in return exhaled in frustration after sensing no movement from the Kryptonian. 

Kara 

Kara El.

That was her name.

The girl he had killed Alek to protect.

What was she doing in his room?

“Leave,” Revan tried to command, though even to himself it sounded weak.

“No,” came the stubborn reply. 

Silence descended over the room. The only noise was the soft rumbling of the waterfall out the back of the building. Revan’s anger started to build. Anger at Kara for not listening to him. Anger at himself for letting himself be in this position. Anger at not being able to move.

“Calm down and listen. I’m not going to hurt you,” he heard Kara’s voice try to reassure him. Wait, how could she…? 

The bond was open both ways now. 

Wide open.

He couldn’t shut the bond, not while his body needed to be healed. 

“What do you want?” questioned Revan irritably, rather uncomfortable with the realisation he had made and to make matters worse, he was not able to see Kara. Talking to someone who could see you but not the other way around was always dangerous.

“Answers,” she said matter of factly. 

Revan was silent for a moment.

“Leave,” he repeated, not wanting to deal with this now. 

“You promised me answers!” Kara exclaimed vehemently, her frustration clear through the bond. 

“People lie,” he shot back, remembering it was a lesson he learnt long ago. He heard her stand and march over to him. As she came into sight, she loomed over him, her golden hair pulled back in a ponytail keeping it away from her beautiful face.

Kara for a moment was surprised before she rolled her eyes and turned away from him. 

Revan felt his face flush as he realised she had heard his thoughts.

“Really?” he heard her grumble. Revan didn't want to have a conversation right now, let alone a conversation about the past. 

“Just leave,” he ordered, wanting to be in any situation other than this one right now. If Deema saw him now he could only imagine the terrible jokes that would pouring from his mouth. ‘Are you complaining about being tied to a bed with a beautiful young woman watching over you?’ he would say.

“His name is Deema?” Kara turned and looked inquisitively at him.

Oh...

“Get out of my head,” seethed Revan, his heart rate increasing as his rage grew. He tried to move again, however, his limbs refused to respond and he let out a groan of frustration. The desk and two chairs scraped against the floor as they were flung across the room, causing a loud crash. The knives from the desk were now strewn across the floor, glinting in the daylight.

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Kara countered defensively, looking at the displaced furniture with a hint of nervousness. 

“Why can’t I move?” asked Revan angrily at the ceiling, knowing that similar injuries he had suffered before had never resulted in his paralysis. The question was what in the force had happened to him since he had been unconscious?

“I’ll tell you if you answer my questions,” Kara replied matter of factly. Revan sensed no deceit from her through the bond, only a fiery determination to find answers to her questions. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down.

He hated reliving the past and he had a feeling that this was going to be a journey through it.

“Three questions,”

“Only three?” she asked surprised.

Revan nodded at the ceiling. 

He thought the Kryptonian would fight him for more, however, she accepted it with a simple “Okay,” much to his amazement.

She must be desperate, he thought.

“Help me sit up,” he requested tiredly, wanting to be able to keep her in view while he answered her questions. Anxiety filled him as she approached to touch him, fearing she might crush him or something worse. He had never thought he would die that way. She rolled her eyes as she came over to him and gripped his shoulders roughly, yanking him upright in the bed with ease. He could feel the Kryptonian strength in her grip, one that could end his life in an instant. Yet, after he was upright, she stepped back and stood in the middle of the room with an unimpressed look on her face.

“For someone famous for being undefeatable, you seem to be quite fearful,” Kara mocked.

“Fear is what keeps you alive. Only a fool ignores it,” Revan replied unamused, casting her a disdainful glare. 

She gave him a disbelieving look, but then her jaw set and a determined look passed over her face. Just before Kara could ask anything Revan interrupted her, “Where are the guards?”

Annoyance flashed across Kara’s face and her bright blue eyes shone with frustration at his intrusion. She looked like the typical Kryptonian that Revan had fought. Annoyance, arrogance and anger at having to deal with what they deemed a lesser species made an unpleasant demeanor to converse and fight with.

“The Amazons trusted me to keep watch over you. Something is happening on the other side of the island, something serious, and they needed everyone they could. The food is delivered in the morning, lunch and evening. They had just left when you started to wake. Also, I’m not… I’m not like those other Kryptonians you have met. I do not believe that you are a lesser species. I don’t believe that there are lesser species. Now, no more interruptions,” she said fiercely. Revan’s thoughts had definitely hit home, he could see it in her eyes and she was becoming more and more agitated over the bond.

This would be interesting.

“Why are you here?” questioned Kara getting straight to the point.

“For answers,” he replied.

“That’s it, just answers?”

Revan nodded slowly while clearing his mind of anything that could give his goals away. He could not, would not allow anyone, let alone a Kryptonian, realise why he was here. They would not understand.

Kara looked at him unsatisfied, her arms folded across her chest. Revan just stared back, not giving her any ground. The bond between them was simmering with tension, on one end was frustration, on the other end annoyance. Eventually he broke the eye contact, telling himself that he had nothing to prove to her. And so silence reaffirmed its control over the room again. 

While Kara was waiting for him to elaborate, which Revan was not going to do, he found himself slipping into force. He tried to force his body to heal quicker, and to get away from the persistent Kryptonian. Instead, he sensed something dark from the other side of the island. It pulled at him, it’s darkness a familiar draw. 

Cold dread gripped him as he struggled to maintain his composure. He remembered the feeling, from his nightmares, though he couldn’t quite place what one. A chilling blue fire that burned with the ferocity of a wildfire but coldness of a blizzard, rising from the depths of the island. It slowly dragged him towards itself, the cold seeping painfully into every nerve of his body. 

A hand made of darkness reached and gripped his arm painfully, and pulled him into the flame. 

“Revan!” The voice called to him. 

Adrenaline coursed through his body, the hand’s cold grip shocking his system into action. With an almighty effort, Revan struggled free from its grip, sprang up and grabbed the offending hand that had gripped him. He pinned it underneath him, his forearm pressed against something soft. 

Expect the hand on his robed arm was not made of darkness. 

Revan blinked.

It was of flesh and bone, covered in healthy white skin. 

Revan shook his head as he tried to clear his vision.

He looked up and was met with fearful blue eyes, reflecting his own dark ones.

Before he could register what was happening, he was flung across the room and crashed into the far wall, dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. His limbs cried out in protest as he slowly forced himself from the floor. They felt like jelly, as if any second they would stop supporting him. As Revan came up to a standing position, he had to lean against the wall as he looked at the rather angry Kryptonian standing at the foot of his bed. 

This was not how he imagined the conversation going.

Whatever that vision had been, the shock that it had given him had given control back to him over his side of the bond, which he quickly tried to shut.

Something wasn’t right though, as Revan realised he couldn't completely close it off, no matter how hard he tried. He was able to stop his thoughts leaking through the bond now, but he could not stop Kara from feeling his emotions through it.

“What have you done?” he hissed at Kara. He went to step towards her, but without the wall’s support, his body couldn’t support him. As he collapsed to the floor, he saw Kara rush him and he prepared himself to be hit knowing he did not have the strength to dodge or and block it. 

Instead, she surprised him. 

She caught him before he hit the ground, slung his left arm around her shoulders. His head was thumping as Kara half dragged and half carried him across the room. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the looming bed approaching. He groaned as he was dumped rather unceremoniously into a pile in the middle of the bed.

“You finished now?” he heard her ask, as his face was stuck in the covers of the bed. The persistence of the girl was really starting to get on Revan’s nerves now.

He took a moment to reflect on the outrageous situation he found himself in. Battles that had lasted for days had been easier than this. Training with the Mandalorians when he was seventeen had been easier than this. Even listening to one of Vrook’s lectures that had gone on for hours had been easier than this. Nevertheless, he was lying face down on a luxurious bed on a paradise like island, wanting to be anywhere but here.

With one of the last Kryptonians, when he was partly responsible for her people’s genocide, nearly immobile. 

“The bond, I feel it. It’s the same feeling I experience when I think back to Krypton. You’re afraid,” came Kara’s voice again, shaking him from his self evaluation. It wasn't a question.

Fear wasn’t something that Revan associated with himself. He knew what fear was, he had conquered it many times. It had saved his life many times. Yet, something inside him told him that she was right. He was avoiding this conversation because he was scared of the past.

With a huff, he slowly dragged himself up the bed to sit up again as he had been a couple of minutes ago. When he turned and propped himself up, he was again greeted by the unamused face of Kara, arms folded across her chest and a scowl gracing her face.

“I apologise for that… action. I was, confused,” Revan admitted begrudgingly, avoiding looking at her. He watched her from his peripheral vision as she picked up the overturned desk and chairs with ease, as if they were as light as a feather, and put them back in their original position. 

Interestingly to Revan, he noticed that his knife was strapped to her waist. He watched as Kara picked up each of the knives carefully and put them back into their correct order on the desk. She then proceeded to sit down in her cot with a faraway look in her eyes.

He should really tell her what the knives meant. Before he could however, Kara started to speak,

“I… I saw that thing too.” Revan’s eyes shot up to hers in shock. She continued hoarsely, “I don’t know how, but through the bond I could see it. I tried to wake you when it grabbed you…” She shivered and she did not carry on.

Revan swallowed loudly, his mind a hive of activity as he struggled to remember a force bond that allowed one to see what the other was seeing while meditating. 

He couldn’t.

How deep did this bond go?

“Your next question?” Revan tried to move on, wanting to move away from questions that he could not answer. That took Kara by surprise as she looked up unsurely, before a thoughtful look passed across her face. She sat there crossed legged in the middle of the bed, her back against the wall. He had never seen someone look so lost.

“What is this bond we share?” Kara asked nervously. 

Revan let out a heavy sigh of irony through his nose and closed his eyes. _ ‘Of course,’ _ he thought, _ ‘the only question I wanted to avoid completely’. _

Opening his eyes, he was met with Kara’s inquisitive gaze. He could tell she was trying to read him, seeing if his face gave anything away. In that way he missed his mask. The ability to not have your emotions betray you was a massive advantage, be that in a combat or civil situation. He didn’t have the power that Deema had to school his face into any mask he wanted to.

Preparing himself for the inevitable backlash, he took a deep breath before saying, “I don’t know.” 

The look of utter hopelessness that appeared on Kara’s face made him made feel instantly guilty for ever doing this to her. Hopelessness sooned turned into the inevitable backlash however. “You must know something. You’re the one who did it,” she said with such conviction that he almost believed it himself.

“I … I,” words seemed to fail him. He wished Deema was with him in this situation. He always knew what to say, to deflect questions and redirect to a subject he desired.

He knew he had to tell her something; she wouldn’t settle for anything less. She was a Kryptonian after all.

“The bond links our emotions and thoughts on an intimate level. It’s how you can tell if I am lying. As you know, it allows for communication through thoughts, manipulation of emotions and can grant unique abilities depending on the type of bond. Our bond is different, however, as I’ve never read of one so deep with someone not … naturally attuned with the force,” he said carefully, not wanting to let slip what he knew had been done to her. While he believed that she was a good person, he knew news like that would be difficult to take. It always was when it involved those closest to you.

She nodded in understanding at what he said, though he doubted even her Kryptonian intellect could work out what the bond was. 

To Revan’s surprise, she took the news well, no anger, no distress, just a kind of acceptance. Obviously, she had actually worked out most of this before.

“Can it be removed?” she asked and he saw that she feared the answer. 

“Not without killing you.”

Kara sat quietly as she took the information in, her chin resting on the top of her chest as she looked down into her lap. Revan saw her start to shake a little and feared she was going to break down into tears. Consoling people was not his strong suit. It was a skill he had never picked up. Instead, he had always moved onto the next objective as one does in war. 

If he looked back, he would be lost.

And yet he always looked back. 

And he had always felt lost. 

He found the past was too powerful a thing to leave behind.

“Why?” Kara whispered, so quietly he almost missed it.

He sat in silence as he tried to think of a suitable answer. 

Why had he done it?

“Why?” she asked louder this time, her eyes glared at him from her bowed head.

“It was the right thing to do,” he said evenly, with no emotion in his voice, meeting her glare. 

Silence settled over the room after that, Kara once again withdrawing into herself to contemplate what Revan had said. He felt genuinely sorry for her. It was not a feeling he usually felt for Kryptonians. If it hadn’t been for the force or his sight, he wouldn't have even known she was there.

As the silence stretched out, he called on the force to restore his limbs to their usefulness. To his surprise, it wasn’t that they were injured, it appeared the muscles in them had been relaxed artificially. It suddenly dawned on Revan as to why he couldn't move when he awoke. He remembered reading about an experimental Kolto recently developed, which when applied in large quantity, sent the muscles to sleep so as to repair them quickly and restrict the movement of the muscle to reduce any further damage. The question was how it was applied. Revan had a feeling he already knew the answer.

“Has Cypher been here since I've been incapacitated?” Revan enquired, analysing her reaction. 

A look of disdain flashed across her face at the mention of that name. Obviously she was not a fan of Cypher, which Revan found unsurprising. Not many people were.

She took a couple deep breaths as she collected herself.

“No one believed me, they said he was a figment of the mind. The island’s magic or fatigue presenting him as a hallucination. But I saw him, I spoke to him! I..” She was talking more to herself than Revan, and so he tuned out.

Well at least it made sense now as to how he was immobilized. The question which ate at Revan was why?

Revan thought he would do the kind thing and assure her that she wasn't going crazy. Deema had that effect on people.

“He was here,” said Revan, watching Kara’s eyes rise from her lap and meet his.

“Why would he come and do nothing other than apply some medicine?” wondered Kara, echoing the statement Revan had thought a moment ago, watching him closely.

“Cypher works in his own way. To try and work out why he does things is fruitless,” Revan replied tiredly, having already been over the same thoughts in his head countless times.

Kara’s eyes dawned in realisation at something, but she did not share what it was. Revan thought it better to not press her as they had seemed to have built a tentative peace for the moment. He watched her as she sat there peacefully. 

A glint caught his attention as he studied his knife tucked into a sheath on her waist. This led Revan to look at the outfit she was wearing. The white body suit she wore, while not skin tight, hugged her enough to show that she had an athletic build, which Revan found his wandering eyes appreciating. 

Now is not the time for that. Revan shook his head berating himself.

The bond was slowly humming in thought from her as she processed what she had learnt. Sometimes she seemed so young. Revan knew he wasn’t that much older than her, but it felt as if he had lived several lifetimes. To think that someone so small and innocent could have been his nemesis if the force had decided otherwise. Maybe in another reality they were fighting each other to the death. 

Kara’s eyes shot up to his.

Oh…

“So what now?” she asked to his relief, though he tried not to show it. Whether she noticed over the bond or not, he didn’t know, but if there was one thing he had learnt in this conversation with her it was that she was quite perceptive.

Never underestimate a Kryptonian.

“I’ve answered more than three questions and so now you leave,” he said with finality. Closing his eyes, he waited to either hear retreating footsteps or a whoosh of air signalling the Kryptonian’s departure.

Except nothing came.

No movement. 

No whoosh.

‘_What are you doing?’ _ he asked confusedly over the bond.

“People lie, you said so yourself,” she replied aloud, her face adorned with a smirk, enjoying throwing Revan’s words back at him.

Revan tried to ignore her, though despite his best efforts his anger rose quickly. He should have never trusted a Kryptonian to keep their word.

Kara must have felt the anger through the bond, because the triumph left her face as she hurriedly stated, “I can’t leave you on your own. I’m not leaving…” she stubbornly replied.

“I will not ask again,” Revan said darkly, cutting her off and emphasising his anger through the bond. After a couple of hours he would be healed enough to remove her from the room himself, a couple hours after that he could fight if need be. And about this time tomorrow he would back up to full strength. After that she would not be a problem.

“Why did you get my knife back for me?” Kara asked abruptly, with a look of fiery determination, drawing that very knife and holding it in her hands.

She really should not have that knife. If she knew what it meant...

And yet she had obviously taken a liking to it. It obviously gave her a sense of security and Revan felt uncomfortable taking that away from someone who had lost so much. He didn’t believe all the Mandalorian stories about the ‘Knife of the Heart’ anyway. As with most Mandalorian stories, they were exaggerated and served a purpose as a fable. 

“I’ve already answered…”

“Please, just answer that one. Please,” Kara pleaded, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Revan looked at her with a scowl, fed up with the bombardment of questions.

“A Kryptonian doesn’t ask. They take,” Revan replied, more to himself than Kara, remembering what Zod had once said to him when they had met on the battlefield. Revan expected her to approach with his knife in hand.

“Not this one,” she spoke quietly, as if she was also talking to herself. “I… I…” she struggled with what she wanted to say. Though Revan was annoyed, he allowed her time to work out what she wanted to say. It was not like he could stop her anyway. “I see that you’re not my enemy Revan, and I am not yours either,” she tried with a passionate plea. 

Revan knew it was a bad idea to keep talking. The more they talked the more complicated this could get. He rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form from the stress of this situation. They had been talking for a while now. The sun had moved since he had awoken, casting longer rays of light that now reached the cot where Kara sat. Through the bond he could tell that she was desperate, though he was not sure what for. It made him uneasy. 

Yet there was nothing he could do for at least a few hours.

“It was the right thing to do,” was all he said, hoping that would suffice.

“No, that’s not all. There is more to it than that, I know there is,” Kara started to realise.

Revan saw the cogs turning in Kara’s head, trying to work out why he had done what he had. 

“You did it to achieve something,” Kara aquisited, though even her tone betrayed her belief in the idea. 

Revan stopped himself from scoffing, but couldn’t stop the unimpressed look that passed over his face. Kara waited for him to continue, and after a while Revan decided to offer her some advice that Deema had once told him. 

“Sometimes, it’s better to think about what is the worst reason for someone to do anything. What is the worst possible outcome that they could be engineering a situation towards,” he said as he spoke as honestly as he could. That piece of advice had saved his life more than once. It was a lesson that someone in her powerful position would have to learn. By the force, sometimes he wondered if he would still be alive without Deema.

He knew that answer.

“That’s not a healthy way to live. There is good in everyone!” argued Kara hotly, glaring at him confoundedly.

Revan was surprised by her belief in this due to how she had been treated on Themyscira. To still have that hope in people was something Revan had lost years ago. He now knew better. Though Kara’s belief may change if she knew what those closest to her had done to her.

“Everyone?” Revan asked, the underlying question in his statement prevalent. Did someone who had lived a life as he had still have good inside him? He didn’t think he was evil, but he definitely wasn’t good either.

Kara’s avoided the question, her brow furrowed deep in thought, as she sat in silence. She seemed to come alive then, no longer the scared little girl who was shaking on the bed, but as a smart woman coming to a rather astute conclusion. Through the bond there was an electricity that hadn’t been there before.

It was a sight to behold, even to an annoyed Revan.

“You earn their respect through battle, bringing them to accepting you, allowing you more freedoms while here. It’s smart, not using your powers to emphasise your prowess as a warrior and to adhere to their values,” Kara scrunched her face in a thoughtful manner, organising her final thoughts. A couple seconds of silence passed before Revan saw the penny drop, her eyes going wide in realisation. “All to allow you to get access to the island. You’re after something on the island, aren't you?” Kara spoke as she jumped out of the bed and paced around the room thoughtfully. 

He just sat there in a stunned silence at the sudden transformation Kara had undertaken. Where had this come from? She was muttering incoherently to herself, quickly working through reasons as to why Revan was really here. 

Conflicting emotions wrestled for control within Revan. On the one hand, she was close to attaining why he was really here, which was dangerous. While on the other hand, he loved to see people in their prime. Captain Dec storming a Kryptonian encampment, Deema pulling off an audacious plot which in no way should have worked and Olaf Rhaegarson’s speeches which hypnotised and impassioned even the most apathetic of people. 

And that is what he saw before him, someone in their element. Though the afternoon sun was blocked by clouds, she seemed to project an ethereal light of her own. While he hated to even think about it, the only way in which he could describe her was angelic.

A Kryptonian, angelic. He nearly laughed.

“Why?” he heard her voice ask, snapping him out of his daydreaming.

Revan gave her a confused look, having been distracted at the time she had said it. Her brow was furrowed as Kara stood in the centre of the room, her cheeks tinged red in embarrassment as soon as she realised that she had gotten carried away. He knew he could crush her confidence in one sentence, the first spark could be extinguished in an instant. However, part of him wanted to know where she was going to go with this.

“What did you ask?” he enquired firmly.

“Why, when everyone else has either brushed me aside, or thought me too much hassle, why did you help me? And don’t you dare say it was the right thing to do. You didn’t need to do it, you could just as easily have accomplished your goals by ignoring me. Why?” She said the last part forcefully.

Revan knew he couldn’t lie here, even if he wanted to.

“I saw what they had done, by ostracising you from their society, by making a fool of you in training, using you as a punchbag. They abused their power and they had a responsibility to help you. You put your trust in them, and they betrayed you. In my galaxy, the only way we won the war was to put our petty enmities aside for a greater cause, our survival. I despise anyone who puts their own power ahead of the people they are responsible for. I read something on this world, that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I am the power that purges the corruption,” Revan said passionately, feeling the fire of belief ablaze within him.

At the end, even Princes could be made to bow. 

Kara just stared at him, her mouth slightly apart in shock, her body unmoving. Her bright blue eyes just blinked, analysing every detail of Revan. Her mind dissecting everything Revan had just said. He felt she could see into his very soul. An awkward silence settled over the room, with neither of them saying anything. Revan clearing his throat was the only intruder to the silence that dared to invade the room. He wasn’t used to speaking that much, his voice felt dry and unused. Water would be a welcome relief. 

He knew he should have stopped talking.

Finally Kara broke the silence. 

“You didn’t care that I’m Kryptonian? You didn’t care that you could have ended up with fighting the entire island? You did it because it was the right thing to do,” she summarised, her voice thick with emotion, seemingly not believing the words she was saying.

“You’re making it sound…”

“Like you’re a good person?”

“I’m not good. No one ever is.” Revan replied bitterly.

“No, you’re not. But you’re not an evil monster either.”

Revan snorted, “You have no idea the things I’ve done.”

“Then tell me,” she said, surprising him, looking at him compassionately, “let me hear your story.”

Revan once again found himself at a precipice, and offered Kara one more chance to stop.

“My story is not a happy one,” he said sadly, his voice full of melancholy.

“My one is not either,” she replied, with a sad look.

If he looked back, he would be lost.

And yet he always looked back. 

His mind drifted to the conversation that he had had with Deema on the bridge of ‘The Relentless’ after Krypton. Could he bring the last daughter of Krypton to their side and complete the ultimate victory he had thought of so long ago?

Possibly.

But maybe it could also be something more.

Though there was always the possibility that she would betray him or kill him.

There was only one way he could be sure.

“I have one condition,” Revan said firmly.

“What?” she asked as she furrowed her brow in confusion. Revan noticed that she was standing in the middle of the room, basked in the rays of the afternoon sun, making her look like one of the goddesses that the Amazons worshipped as she waited for Revan’s next sentence.

“Let me train you in the art of combat.”

  
  



	8. Discovery

**Kara**

‘Rest now, for your training begins tomorrow.’

That's what Revan had said after she had accepted his astonishing proposal. To say that she was suspicious was an understatement, but with little other options, she felt like she didn’t really have a choice. Sure he had offered her one, but it was learning from Revan or going back to a society that had already betrayed her trust once and who clearly did not think that she was part of their community. Her concern was as to why Revan had offered that deal as he didn’t need to. He wouldn’t do something out of the kindness of his heart, the fight in the arena had shown her that. If there was something he could gain from an action, he would take it. The question was, what was he gaining?

Still, it amused Kara that Revan was surprised that as soon as he had finished speaking she had left with super speed. She could feel Revan’s irritation through the bond as she sped away. It was also nice to be away from his presence for the first time in a while. She found it hard to describe, but it seemed that his very presence was heavy. Not in a bad way, but she could feel the power that he held by just being around him. It was probably due to the bond, that she was more sensitive to his emotion and power. If the bond went both ways, does that mean he suffered the same as her? Before she could ponder the question further, she arrived at the city centre.

Finding Donna Troy had been harder than anticipated. Kara wove her way through the busy streets but found little success. The city was a hive of activity once again, though everyone wore grim faces. Obviously something bad was going on. A few showed disdain as she passed while a few smiled. Most didn’t really acknowledge her as she walked past them, preoccupied by whatever was on their mind. Soldiers moved to and fro as they had before Revan’s arrival, their armour clinking as they went. As she was about to take off into the air, one of Revan’s former guards called to her, and asked what she was doing in the city. Kara explained that Revan had awoken and that she was looking for Donna Troy. The guard then instructed her to follow her and so she did. Winding her way through the Amazons, the guard led her to the central plaza in the upper city. As she approached it, she saw women coming and leaving quickly out of the large stone buildings, most of them going into the other structures around the square. The guard led her into the one designated for the military.

Finally they ended up outside a room in which she could feel the tension through the door, a low buzz of serious conversation inside. The guard ordered her to stay while she went in, and a couple of seconds later she beckoned Kara to follow her. Entering the room, she first noticed the large map of the island set in the middle of it with dozens of Amazons around it. On the map itself, she could see the city in the centre of the island. On the east side of the island, there were multiple markers placed around what she remembered as the theta symbol. In one of the books she had read on the Watchtower, it had said that it had belonged to the language of the ancient Greeks. The symbol represented death. 

The room was thick with unease as the Amazons planned and organised, though Kara couldn’t make out what for. Something was happening at this theta symbol on the east side of the island, but other than that there was no clue. She was led over to Donna, who was talking with Artemis and a few of the other prominent captains. She was amazed that Artemis was standing, though she looked like she had just marched over from the infirmary. She carried herself on her left side and had bloody bandages covering her head. As the Amazons saw her approach, a few tensed and others looked around warily, as if Revan could pop out at any moment. Artemis gave her a somewhat awkward look, somewhere between annoyance and embarrassment.

“Kara Zor-El wishes to speak with you, Donna,” reported the guard.

Donna nodded, “We’ll speak later,” she said to the other Amazons around her. They all swiftly moved away, going to carry out their duties. Artemis was slower to leave, she looked like she was going to say something but then thought better of it, turning and limping off towards the centre of the room.

“What’s going on?” asked Kara.

“Something is happening on the other side of the Gates of Death,” Donna said tiredly, looking around the room at the restless Amazons. Kara knew that part of the Amazonians’ life was pledged to protect the Gates, whether that was stuff coming out of it or people trying to manipulate it for their own purpose. 

“Oh,” was all Kara said.

“Anyway, what did you want to speak about?” inquired Donna as she turned to face her.

“Revan’s awake.” 

She went through the conversation in detail, though she did leave out some bits, such as the bond. After she had finished, Donna looked unnerved. “I have a mind to request the Queen to detain him. He is clearly not a stable individual,” she said coldly. She frowned then, deep in thought. “It can’t be a coincidence that he arrives, has a vision about it and then suddenly a place that has slept for centuries starts to awaken,” she thought aloud.

“He offered to train me in how to fight,” Kara muttered, having left that bombshell until last. She also hoped that by saying it again, Revan’s motives would become clear. 

“He did? Did you accept?” Donna asked, surprised.

Kara nodded slowly. “I still don’t trust him, but at least this way I am keeping him where I can see him.”

Donna gave her a skeptical look, to which Kara rolled her eyes. “Not in that way,” she muttered.

Looking relieved though still troubled, Donna continued, “Are you comfortable about staying in the same quarters as him? We need the experienced warriors here at the moment and after his display at the arena, I don’t think any number of guards would be any bother to him if he decided to cause a problem, so we are not going to bother to guard his quarters any more. Of course if you feel uncomfortable, you can move back into the barracks,”

Kara took a while to think about it. It hadn’t been too bad in the last few days, though Revan had been unconscious during that time. The room was nicer than her quarters in the barracks. It was more private and peaceful as well. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t enjoyed waking up to the sounds of the island. The waterfall out the back blocked out a lot of the noise from the city, making the building a little piece of solitude for her. Her own bathroom which she could use whenever without anyone else trying to use it. Would that change with Revan awake now?

Finally she came to her decision. “I'll stay there for now,” Kara replied, hoping it was the right choice.

Donna nodded in acceptance. “Look,” she said as she gestured to hardened and concerned faces in the room around her, “our main priority is the stirring of the Gates of Death. We believe that when it comes to Revan, you're the best person to assess the situation. He obviously has some kind of interest with you, otherwise he wouldn’t have fought a small army to get your knife back.”

Kara blinked owlishly, before stuttering, “You are entrusting Revan to me. That’s, wait… who’s we?” 

“The Queen and I have discussed what happened in the arena in depth. She thinks that Revan will listen to you more than us,” Donna said carefully, studying Kara’s reaction.

“I’m not sure…”

“I understand your apprehension, but you must trust the Queen and more importantly trust in yourself. If he tries anything, then let us know. You can do this Kara,” Donna said confidently, her tone portraying no doubt.

Though Kara felt unsure about this responsibility, she said a rather unconvincing, “Okay.” 

For the first time since she entered the room, Kara saw an emotion that wasn’t stress or worry as Donna smiled. 

“Oh…. and a package came for you from your cousin,” Donna said as she called over one of the Amazons and sent them to retrieve it. Kara’s heart leapt in her chest at the mention of her cousin, though she did wonder why he had sent something only now.

Someone called Donna’s name from the table. She sighed, and quickly said goodbye to Kara. Just before she walked away, she warned her with a pointed look, “Just remember that as he is training you, you will learn from him. However, it works both ways. He will learn about you too.” 

And so Kara left the room, after the Amazon had come back with her parcel, with Donna’s words echoing in her ears. Rather than have the Amazons disturb them later, she went to the kitchens to pick up her and Revan’s evening meal. She watched them work their magic, rustling up a meal quickly and efficiently, using a healthy variety of ingredients. In the end, they packed up what looked like a stew into two boxes and then sent her on her way, telling her that they’ll tell whoever comes later that her and Revan’s meals have already been delivered. With the meals in one hand, two bottles of water trapped between her arm and her body and Kal El’s package in the other, Kara set off back to her new accommodation, though she did not rush this time. She took her time walking through the city as the sun was setting, listening to the conversations and wondering what would greet her when she returned. Both from the package and whatever Revan was doing. 

Kara loved Kal. He was the only family she had left. But his distance had hurt her since her arrival. She looked down at the package in her hand and was scared to open it.

When she got close to her quarters, Raina ambushed her. 

“Has something happened?” she said, her red cloak blowing around her.

“He is awake,” Kara said with a grimace.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” 

“He is an annoying idiot.”

“Charming, I’ll come and sort him out…” Raina began, marching off.

“No, no. He is a confused and dangerous man who is also short of patience at the moment,” Kara said, zipping round in front of her.

“All the more reason for me…” 

“I’ve got this, Raina.” Kara said determinedly, blocking her path.

“Ohhh fine. But as soon as he is more… amenable, I’m coming to see him. I just want to thank him for kicking Artemis’s arse.” Raina snarked, laughing.

After that they chatted for a little while before Raina left to go, remembering she had been summoned to the square. With a wave and her cloak flowing behind, Raina vanished into the maze of streets and mass of people.

When Kara returned to her new quarters, it turned out that Revan was face down in his bed. She wondered if he knew she was back, or if he was oblivious to the world.

_ ‘I am awake, no thanks to you,’ _ Revan said in her head, startling her. Well, Revan was in a bad mood already. A question which she had been meaning to ask suddenly sprung into his head. 

“How do you do that, talk in my head?” Kara demanded in frustration, fed up with it being a one way thing. 

She was met with a wall of silence. She placed her items on the desk, crossed her arms and stared as she waited and yet nothing came.

“Revan?” she said again.

Silence again.

“Revan?” she shouted, annoyance taking hold.

Without thinking, she grabbed and chucked one of the bottles of water at his sleeping form. Just as it was about to hit him, it froze in the air. Slowly, it spun until it was upright in the air. Then, it moved swiftly through the air, until it hovered above the desk and gently descended until its bottom hit the wooden surface.

_ ‘Typical Kryptonian patience,’ _ Revan mocked over the bond.

Kara let out an exasperated groan. “I’m going to drag you out of that bed if you don’t answer me,”

_ ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ _ Revan sneered though the bond. It suddenly hit Kara that it looked like she was talking to a sleeping body. 

She strode over to the bed, trying to show her intent through the bond. Getting to the end of the bed, Revan spoke in her mind again.

_ ‘You’ve done it before,’  _ he said quickly, realising that she wasn’t joking.

“Not on purpose,” she bit back.

_ ‘On the beach you did,’  _ Revan countered, the bond showing no deceit.

“That actually reached you?” she said shocked. She had just thought it had been a fruitless effort in a moment of petty desperation.

_ ‘And in the arena.’ _

Kara had forgotten about their interaction there, it had seemed so natural at the time. If she didn’t have the bond telling her that he wasn’t lying, then she would have challenged him on it.

Revan’s emotion over the bond was different from before, but Kara recognised it as disappointment. Wait, why was he disappointed in her? He was the one who should know about this stuff.

_ ‘You know how to show emotions through the bond, just do the same but just think about talking to me and then transmit the thoughts,’ _ Revan explained.

_ ‘LIKE THIS! _ ’ Kara mentally screamed, wanting to be sure that he heard her..

_ ‘Not as loud,’ _ Revan groaned in response. 

‘How do I make sure that I don’t transmit all my thoughts?’ Kara asked through the bond, knowing that there were things that she would rather not have Revan listening to.

Revan huffed in annoyance. _ ‘If I tell you, will you stop asking me inane questions?’  _

Kara nodded, yet had no intention of keeping that deal.

_ ‘I know you’re lying,’ _ his voice said with certainty.

Well, that answered one of Kara’s questions at least. She felt like saying something to try and explain herself, but was surprised to hear Revan’s voice again before she had a chance.

_ ‘But I do not want to hear your stray thoughts all day. Just think of trying to dam the bond. You won’t be able to stop emotions from flowing through, but you can stop the words. The more aware of the bond you are, the more control you have over it. Your mind will unconsciously adjust to it over time,’ _ he said, sounding annoyed.

_ ‘Revan _ smells’ she thought while trying to damn her thoughts.

_ ‘What now?’ _ he asked exasperatedly. 

_‘Sorry, just practising,’ _she replied simply. Kara smirked at her success, and let silence wash over the room, before a question jumped to the forefront of her mind. “Do you prefer to talk through the bond or as normal?” she wondered curiously. Through the bond, she felt Revan’s anger flare up.

_ ‘I don’t like talking,’ _ said Revan, trying to end the conversation. 

Kara just rolled her eyes at his childness, trying not to let him get to her.

“Are you even going to eat?” she asked innocently.

_ ‘No,’  _ came the reply, though through the bond Kara could feel his hackles rise.

“It’s not poisoned, I watched them make it myself,” Kara said disapprovingly, knowing she was playing a dangerous game. Her heart did start to quicken a little as his anger rose.

_ ‘You’re a poison expert now?’ _ Revan taunted.

“Fine, I’ll have half of each then…” Kara tried to reason.

_ ‘You are a Kryptonian. It takes more to kill you than me,’ _ interrupted Revan, his voice trying to sound bored, but Kara could tell she was getting to him.

“You need to eat,” she said fiercely, pushing him further.

“Why do you care so much?” he sneered, rolling over in the bed with a murderous look. He was breathing heavily, his fists clenched holding the covers of the bed. His hair was a mess, looking like a hurricane had just rolled through it. His pale skin made him look like some kind of creature of the night, rising to slake his thirst. 

Anger bled through the bond, but Kara didn’t shy away, she stood tall at the end of the bed. She had noticed that through the bond, she could sense darkness, suffocating darkness. Yet, something bubbled underneath. Something that wouldn’t yield to all that darkness.

“If you’re going to train me, you need to eat,” she said vehemently, holding the food out aggressively.

“I’ll eat if you stay quiet the rest of the night,” proposed Revan sarcastically, which Kara instantly took advantage of.

“Deal.”

Revan’s eyes narrowed, his bond showed that he had been caught off guard by her acceptance. Reluctantly, he raised his hand and summoned the package of food to his hand. Kara took a seat at the desk and carefully moved the knives over to the side. 

They both ate in silence, with Kara occasionally glancing over to make sure Revan was eating. He just sat there, quietly eating his food with a scowl. Through the bond, Kara could tell that he was waiting to snap at her if she spoke, so she remained quiet. 

When they both had finished their meals, Kara took the rubbish out to the bin before coming back. She also grabbed the package that Kal-El had sent her and placed it under her cot, promising to herself that she would think about opening it the next day. If Revan had seen it, he had not made any mention of it. She looked over to him and saw that he had turned over to go to sleep and thought she would do the same. Temptation ate at her to say something about being right about the food and found herself unable to resist.

“I told you it wasn’t poisoned,” Kara said triumphantly, laying down in her cot with a smirk.

“I wish it was. It would stop me from having to suffer this,” replied Revan coldly, not a hint of amusement or sarcasm in his voice. 

The comment stung Kara, though she tried not to show it. All she did was try to help and yet he was just being rude and arrogant. Ironic that he would remind her of the type of Kryptonians he had fought against and hated. Over the bond she felt something from Revan, something softer. But as soon as she noticed it, it had gone.

Kara found it harder to sleep now that she knew he was conscious, in the same room as her. Laying there, she must have run the conversation she had with Revan earlier in the day back in her head a thousand times, analysing everything that he had said. While doing this, she practised damming her thoughts as Revan had instructed to try and hide what she was thinking. Luckily, she must have had at least some success as he didn’t stir or acknowledge any of her thoughts. 

His answers to her questions were disappointing to say the least. It wasn’t that she was worried that she was joined deeply to someone who was unstable and powerful, it was that neither of them had any real idea of what that connection was, or how deep the bond went. It was clear from his face that he had been just as unsure and frustrated as her. 

One thing she hadn’t been expecting was when he had said that she would die if he removed the bond. She had expected to detect a lie or some kind of deceit but found none. 

It really scared her that she hadn’t. Could he kill her at any time by just removing the bond?

No. If he had wanted her dead he wouldn’t have waited this long. As much as it grated her to admit it, Batman was right as she had worked out earlier. Revan wasn’t here to kill her. Whatever he was doing here had nothing to do with her.

After that question there was one really big enigma that remained in her mind. And that was Revan himself. When he had awoken, his bond had been completely open, which took her awhile to get used to. The thoughts that had leaked through the bond were distracting to say the least. He almost looked cute with how bashful he looked when he had said that she looked beautiful. She shook her head. No, she did not just call Revan cute. Was she thinking about things like this because of the bond? Kara gave a little huff in frustration. There were so many questions, yet so few answers. What she did know was that he was an arrogant, rude and selfish man who thrived on conflict and violence. Kara put those thoughts to the back of her mind, not wanting to think about them. Plus, she also wanted to get some sleep for whatever Revan had instore for her tomorrow. 

Kara turned over in her cot and faced Revan’s sleeping form and yet sleep still eluded her. All she had really learnt was that Revan was after something on the island and that he knew very little of the bond they shared. He was also uncomfortable with close proximity to anyone he didn’t trust. So Cypher, or Deema as was revealed by Revan, wasn’t wrong when he mentioned his paranoia. Kara struggled to understand the relationship they shared. They obviously looked out for each other, but she wondered how strong their friendship truly was.

Finally as tiredness overtook her, excitement, not something she had really felt since Krypton, started to fizzle within her. It was not a lot, but more than she was used to. Tomorrow would be a dangerous new start for her, and the next few days could be more dangerous still.

What had she let herself in for?

**   
  
**

**Two days later**

**   
  
**

Kara hit the ground again,

And again,

And again.

But each time she got up. 

The hot sun was starting to set as she stood tall, before being thrown into the ground again in the garden of their quarters. 

Two days was all that had passed, and already she had had enough. Revan stood ever so still and waited for her to pull herself up from the ground again. Kara lay there wondering if it was time for her to give up. On the first morning of their training, Revan had said to her simply that ‘it ends when you give up,’ Kara had looked at him confused for a moment, before he lunged forward quicker than she had expected him to, and threw her to the ground in a fluid motion. Since then, no matter what she tried, the result always ended up the same. Her white bodysuit was covered in dirt, as was her face and hair. Two whole days of this was wearing her mind and body thin. Kara hadn’t even had a chance to open Kal’s package yet as Revan had been uncompromising in their regime, allowing her no time for anything else.

The only positive that Kara had managed to scrape out of the last two days was everything apart from the training. Sharing the bathroom had filled Kara with dread when she had first thought of it, but it soon appeared that she needn’t have worried. Revan hardly ever used it, or if he did he seemed to do it when she wasn’t looking. It was a lot better than the communal ones that the Amazons had. There was always at least one person in there when she needed it and it was just awkward sitting there not talking. Fortunately, whenever she washed, he left the room and meditated outside to give her additional privacy. Kara didn’t say anything though she was thankful, and therefore tried not let her curiosity get the better of her and use her X-ray vision when he went in there. Unfortunately, she was rather bored one time and found herself looking in there curiously, only to be met with a scowl from Revan looking directly at her through the wall, just finishing putting his clothes back on. Embarrassed, she had not done it again since.

What shocked her was how early Revan awoke in the day. She had woken on the first day to see Revan’s bed empty, though there was still heat where he had lain. Looking out the window, she found him swimming at the end of the pool. He was strong and quiet, gliding through the water effortlessly. 

For a couple of minutes, she watched him curiously. After about another twenty lengths he got out and started doing some intense workout exercises. To her surprise, he even climbed the cliff freely to where it protruded out a little about half way up, and repeatedly pulled himself up and down. Finally, he leapt from the where he was hanging, landing silently in front of the pool. 

Yet, it seemed he wasn’t finished, as he knelt on the ground. Suddenly, she felt a shift in the bond, and some of the rocks in the garden rose off the ground. They moved in smooth patterns, flowing through the air like water. This lasted for a few minutes, the rocks flying around in perfect sync as if they were a flock of birds. It was a mesmerising sight to Kara, who had never seen anything like it. The control he showed, and yet he made no movement, it was magical. 

Eventually, they dropped, one at a time to their resting places in the garden. After that, Kara had awoken the next morning to see the same thing, though Revan had done some different exercises such as submerging himself in the water for ten minutes and lifting large rocks with his bare hands. While Kara didn’t want to interrupt, she couldn’t help but watch his actions. She was tempted to join him, though she didn’t think either of them would feel comfortable as they were still becoming accustomed to each other.

So far their daily routine was to have their breakfast once Revan had finished his exercises (Kara refused to train unless Revan ate his with her), then they started training. They had a break early afternoon while they had their lunch. Then they trained until the moon was high in the sky, as both needed less sleep than the average human due to their unique abilities. Yet Kara still felt tired even with her enhanced vitality.

Revan, on the other hand, seemed to be unimpressed by the whole experience, never speaking. He just watched her with an analytical gaze. He never let anything slip through the bond either, it was eerily silent. Kara would say that his mind might have been elsewhere, but the focus he watched her with was unnerving. His injuries had healed scarily fast, with all but the bruised chest disappearing from his skin, which she had spotted during the unfortunate bathroom incident. They had hardly talked since the night before her training began. She had tried, but each time he had shut the conversation down. Donna’s words rang in her head, 

He was learning about her. Though what he was learning, Kara did not know. 

And yet she had not learnt anything about him. Tiredness, fatigue and a lack of time had kept her from pushing him for more information. 

What Kara did know was that her anger was reaching critical levels. She hadn’t slept well the night before due to the aching of her joints and the bruising forming across her body. In her mind this was no different from the training she had received from the Amazons. Was he just doing this to mock her? 

She gritted her teeth before charging him again.

A few minutes later, after hitting the ground ten more times, Revan turned towards the setting sun, disappearing beneath the west of the island. 

“We’ll continue…” Revan said, turning to walk away.

“No!” Kara shouted, anger coursing through her. She had tried to keep a cool head while doing whatever this was Revan had her doing. But she had reached the end of her tether. 

“You’ve dragged me out for two days straight and all I've done is taste dirt. Are you getting some kind of sick satisfaction out of this? Why are we even doing this? And then to top it all off, we are finishing early today for some unknown reason. What is the point to all this?” Kara demanded shouting, frustration and anger boiling in her blood, wanting to do nothing more than lash out.

Revan froze as still as a statue. Ever so slowly, he turned around and regarded her with a strange look. His body was tense, his lips drawn into a thin line, as if he was deciding something. His brow then set, showing a look of determination Kara hadn’t seen since the arena. 

Walking towards her, he came up close, their noses nearly touching. He was a little taller, maybe only an inch or two, which for some reason added to her anger. Straightening her spine, she didn’t back down. With the sun now set, his skin made him look haunting, like a ghost of her past coming for her. His eyes seemed to absorb the light around them, his pupils nearly indistinguishable from his irises. Through the bond, Kara could feel something akin to anticipation building.

Suddenly he shoved her. It was not particularly hard, but enough to make her stumble. 

“Come on! I can feel your anger, your frustration,” he sneered, approaching her again, his intent to push her again clear. “Do it, come on. Release… your… rage,” he said as he emphasised each word with a push, the final one causing her to fall to the floor. He towered over her then, looking down his nose at her. 

“Pathetic,” she heard a contemptuous voice say from above her. “A pitiful memory of what was a great people.”

Kara felt anger and rage call to her, begging her to give in. She was so close to losing it she tried to breathe deeply, blocking out Revan by closing her eyes. She even tried to block the bond, but was too caught up in her anger to focus properly. Kal El came to her thoughts then, what he or a hero would do.

She had to be like that if she wanted to become a hero.

And so she defiantly rose from the floor, a fire burning within her. Again they stood nose to nose, each watching the other. She thought another push would come her way, more fighting. And yet, Revan spoke.

“You miss Krypton a lot, don’t you?” At the mention of her home, Kara lost control, shoving Revan hard. He quickly recovered and kept talking, much to her vexation.

“Your planet was so beautiful.” Kara charged him and punched him this time. His head whipped round from the blow, but he didn’t stop. Through the bond she could feel his anger and other emotions, though the clearest was anger. 

He merely shook the blow off, and continued to talk.

“To see something so beautiful die is a tragic thing.” Kara stopped herself from punching him again, slowly trying to regain control of herself. She could feel herself starting to calm down. The anger and rage she felt was slowly starting to ebb away.

Yet Revan had other ideas.

“Your mother, she was a brave woman...” Before he could continue, Kara rushed and grabbed him by his robe, throwing him across the garden. He hit the ground and rolled over a couple of times before coming to a stop on his back, looking up at the night sky.

“Don’t…you...” Kara began, fighting back tears. Through the bond there was a vortex of emotions. The feelings coming from Revan were confusing her as she realised it wasn’t his anger she was seeing, but her own. 

“What was it like, watching her as you took off, leaving your own mother behind to die?” Revan asked mercilessly, rising from the ground and brushing himself off, exploiting her gaping emotional wound with an impassive face. 

Kara screamed, her grief, anger and rage completely overwhelming her. She felt her eyes heat up, and before she realised what she was doing, shot her Kryptonian heat vision at Revan.

It seemed like time slowed down as the beam raced through the air towards its target. Revan didn’t even move, he just intercepted the twin lasers with his hands. Somehow, they didn't penetrate them. However, his boots started to lose traction as he winced from the effort of protecting himself. Slowly the beam started to force him back inch by inch. 

Kara was astonished at what she was seeing. She blinked, shutting off her heat vision and stood with a mix of emotions swirling within her. Rage gave way to grief and regret. Looking down, she knew her mother would not have condoned that kind of action. That was the action of a brute, like Revan or Zod. She could have killed him.

Through the bond she felt something coming from Revan she hadn’t seen before. Confused, she looked up, wondering if she had imagined it. 

Revan was smiling. It wasn’t a large smile, just the corners of his mouth were upturned. His eyes didn’t show happiness despite the smile. They showed a subtle hint of pride. He began to walk towards her carefully, his footsteps soft against the ground. The sound of the waterfall echoed around them, shielding them from any noise that may disturb them. He came to a stop before her, and cocked his head a little as his dark eyes regarded her. His hand moved as if to touch her, but he thought better of it, and retracted his hand.

“That feeling, when emotion takes over and you can’t control it. When you summon all your strength to fight what you thought was impossible before. That is what you must harness. Every time we train from now on, that is what you will awaken. If you train like that and then fight like that, then you will never lose due to anything other than a far superior opponent,” Revan said with a wisdom that he hadn’t shown her before.

Kara stood there taking in what he had just said, not really comprehending what he was getting at. A smell suddenly caught her attention. She recognised it but couldn’t place it and so ignored it for now.

“All that, what you said…” Kara started quietly, not quite believing Revan had gone that far. 

He nodded slowly, “Come,” he beckoned, as he walked past her to their shared building. She followed reluctantly, still wrestling with the lingering emotions from the fight. As the adrenaline filtered out of her body, her muscles started to sing with exhaustion just as she stepped up the few steps into the house. 

The first thing she saw was the wooden desk placed in the middle of the room, over the red rug. The knives were removed from its surface, and looking up she saw they were nestled in their sheaths. Revan, picked up the two chairs and placed them at either end of the desk. 

“Sit and listen,” Revan ordered in his usual curt manner, gesturing to the chair opposite him with his hand. Kara looked at him suspiciously. Talking was what Revan hated doing. And yet, he seemed to be offering just that. “If you don't want to…”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just a bit of a jump from what we… you were doing out there not even five minutes ago,” Kara interrupted hotly as she moved to sit in the chair, glaring at him. Revan grabbed their dinner from the bag and put it on the table in front of them and sat in the chair. As Revan put her food down on the desk, he winced a little. Kara spotted this and frowned, but was shocked at what she saw.

“Your hands…” Kara said quietly, seeing the burned flesh and realizing that was what she had smelt. She had recognised it due to her smelling the same thing on Krypton as she had made her way home. The palms of his hands were blackened, the top few layers of skin had been burnt away. Fortunately, it hadn’t burned right through to the bone. Nevertheless it was painful to look at let alone actually suffer. The memory of Krypton increasing the nauseating feeling in her stomach.

Revan shrugged, unbothered by it, taking his seat opposite her. He used the force to bring his food over and placed it in front of him, though he didn’t start to eat. His eyes had a distant look to them. He didn’t say a word while Kara tucked in to her well earned meal. When she was halfway through, he started to speak. 

“Our galaxy was full of different peoples and cultures, all attempting to survive. One of the biggest was the Mandalorians. They are a warrior culture, proud of their bloody history and they loved a good fight. They... suffered inordinately against the Kryptonians. By the time I arrived to join the fight, the Kryptonians had already been ejected from our galaxy. And so I was put in charge of the task force which was preparing for the invasion of your galaxy. Part of the people included in this task force were the Mandalorians. They had always fascinated me. A culture built on conflict, strength and honour, as opposed to the peace, tolerance and control that most societies practise,” he paused taking a sip of water, thinking on what to say next. 

Kara picked absentmindedly at her food, listening intently to what Revan was saying. While he was talking, he didn’t look at her, or at anything in particular. She did not find it surprising that the Mandalorians, who she had heard of as some of the fiercest fighters the Revanites had, were held in high esteem by Revan. Though in truth, she had been taught that they were no better than animals.

“On the first day, I strolled down to their training arena on one of the Mandalorian ships in our fleet. They asked me what I was doing there and laughed at my reply, and told me rudely to leave. I stayed. After standing there for a few minutes, and after realising that I wasn’t going to leave, they formed a ring around me. One of the warriors stepped out into the ring and we fought. No weapons, no force abilities, just two men fighting with what they had. I didn’t stand a chance. I left the arena limping that day, humiliated and belittled by them,” Again, he paused to take a sip of his drink. His voice wasn’t as dry as it had been when he had arrived. It was starting to get some of the warmth it had contained on Krypton. Kara did wonder where this story was going, forgetting her food in front of her. It surprised her that he would admit to being humiliated so openly in front of her when he seemed to tolerate no weakness. 

“The next day, I walked back in and I beat that same guy I had lost to the day before. I was happy and smug, until another stood in his place and he beat me bloody. As I limped away again, the Mandalore, their leader, said to me, ‘One fight doesn’t win a war, kid. One kill doesn’t always win a fight. If that was a real battlefield you’d be dead. Go back to whatever temple you came from and stay there. Let the real warriors fight.’

This time when he paused he looked down at his hands, a loathing look across his face.

“The rest of the day I was plagued by self doubt and uncertainty. I couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I spoke to my friends and some of my new colleagues and they all said the same thing in different ways. They said keep going back down there for as long as it takes for them to respect me. It was easy for my friends to say keep going, they weren’t getting beaten to a pulp and being ridiculed everyday. Except for Deema, he was unusually quiet for him. I realise now that he was testing me. That night I had a choice, to give up or to continue through the pain. In the end, it was because of the belief that the people had in me that I went down there again and again and again. After a couple of days, they no longer laughed as I approached. A few days after that, they no longer laughed as I left. I still saw it in their eyes however, the lack of respect shining as they looked at me with disdain. I was a child to them.”

Another pause, another sip, which Kara frustratedly had to wait through. 

“Eventually, I beat every single one of them in one on one combat, and still they didn’t respect me. If anything, they seemed to find it more amusing. Every time I left the arena someone was standing there having finally finished me, being cheered by the ring of warriors. I can’t remember how long it was, but eventually I snapped. All the training I had gone through to keep control of my emotions and not let them cloud my judgement vanished. I still remember the Mandalorian woman standing over me, after I had beat her entire clan, smirking with pride. They all cheered her, even though I had fought for longer and harder than her. And that’s when I finally learnt the lesson they had been trying to teach me. I was just too naive to have spotted it.”

He seemed to freeze then, not saying anything more, his mind having travelled to places far from where he sat. Kara waited for a few moments, but her impatience got the better of her.

“Which was?” she asked quickly, wanting to find out. Revan looked directly at her then with a poignant look, as if just remembering she was still there.

“There is no fairness in war. You win, or you die. Lying there on the floor, I finally learnt this. There were over a hundred warriors in that room. When I stood again, the woman who had smirked so quickly at my defeat, suddenly had fear in her eyes. I called on the force, something which I had avoided doing up to that point, and I lifted every single one of them by their necks and watched them all struggle, as I had done for days and weeks. Some of them blacked out, others continued to fight against it, yet they were all powerless. Eventually I released them, dropping them to the floor. As I walked out, I happened to pass the Mandalore lying on the ground recovering, and I said, ‘If that was a real battlefield you’d be dead,’ and walked away from his chuckling form behind me.”

“Yet that wasn’t when I earned their respect. That was when I returned the next day and the next day and the next day, continuing to train and learn from them. It was then that the Mandalore told me what I told you out in the garden. I tried to teach the people I had travelled with, force sensitives like me what the Mandalorians thought of the war and how strong one must be to survive, let alone triumph,” Revan stated, remorse suddenly flooding the bond. Kara realised that it wasn’t a new emotion. It was always there, on the fringes of the bond. The same as the thing that bubbled under the darkness which was always there. She had felt it when he was baiting her out in the garden. It was what she felt when she thought of her family and Krypton. He was haunted by the past as she was. It was remorse.

A sudden slam on the table shook her out of her thoughts. Revan involuntarily grimaced due to the pain the action caused his hand. 

Kara felt like she shouldn’t press more due to his instability, but she did anyway, wanting to learn as much about him as she could. 

“Through the bond I can feel remorse?” she probed, hoping for an answer.

“The ones who didn’t listen to me died quickly. People who I had known since I was a child, gone, just like that. All because I didn’t prepare them adequately for what they were about to face. I was too focused on my personal learning and skills to worry about the others,” he said solemnly, regret etched into his features. Through the bond she felt it strongly, the regret of all the mistakes he had made. Kara noted this as she sat there in contemplation, her brow creased in thought.

“How old were you?” questioned Kara quietly.

“What does that matter?” Revan asked, looking at her in bewilderment.

“Just answer the question,” she said firmly.

Revan looked unsure and looked down at his still wrapped food in front of him.

“Nearly eighteen,” Revan whispered so quietly that even with her super hearing she nearly missed it. 

Kara felt physically sick. Soldiers for the Kryptonians had to be over twenty to even begin training, let alone actually fight, which was allowed after the two year training program ended. She felt for Revan then, a boy of seventeen, having such responsibility that it would cause most people to collapse. Yet, even at that age, he had somehow persevered. There was something he wasn’t telling her, she could feel it through the bond.

“Why were you chosen to lead the task force at such a young age?” sought Kara.

Revan’s face contorted to anger, though it wasn’t directed at her. Through the bond she felt anger and a foreign emotion swirl across Revan. The darkness inside of him seemed to thicken, taking hold of him. His body was shaking, physically shaking with the rage inside of him. She saw him clench a fist and backed up in concern, praying he wasn’t going to break the table this time. Fortunately, he stopped himself, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm down. 

“That… is a story for another time,” Revan finished, getting up and walking outside. Kara just sat there, stunned at all that she had learnt. She struggled to get over the fact that he had gone to war at an age which was considered to be too young to drive on this planet, let alone be in charge of a large scale military operation.

Loss was obviously something which Revan was familiar with as well. The remorse she had felt was so raw, like he was remembering each and every one of those who had died. It scared her a little, that she actually felt sorry for him. The man, or should she say boy, who waged a war for his friends and family against her people. 

“You should eat,” said Revan walking back in a few minutes later, looking more composed than he had been when he left. 

“Revan…”

“Don’t…” Revan's voice was strangely soft, as if he was pleading with her.

“You need to eat as well,” Kara stated firmly.

Revan looked like he was about to argue, but then he just collapsed into the chair looking exhausted. He unwrapped his food carefully, before using the force to help him eat. It was weird to watch for Kara, seeing someone eating with telekinesis. 

They ate in silence, both stewing over what Revan had said. The food tasted bland in her mouth as she ate it, though it wasn't due to the chef’s poor choice of ingredients. For Kara, she just had so much on her mind. It was the most open she had seen Revan. At the moment, there was no cold exterior, no anger, just Revan. Was this who he really was? 

As they finished, Kara took the food out and came back in to find Revan coming out of the bathroom in just his undersuit, with his robe in hand. It left very little to the imagination, as it hugged his body like a glove, showing off his clearly defined muscles. The black undersuit stood in stark contrast to his pale skin. He looked to be getting healthier everyday, no longer covered with a sickly grey skin. His body didn’t exude the weakness it had shown when he had arrived.

Revan coughed to bring her attention to his face, which had the start of stubble growing on it. It was carefully neutral. Revan stepped past her and went over to hang up his robe. Kara stood there for a moment before hurrying into the bathroom, shutting the door forcefully behind her. Kara shook her head at herself, having been surprised at his… underdressed appearance. It was nothing she hadn’t seen before, but they had never been so close to each other since that first night or unless they were training.

She cringed as she thought of that night. 

Leaving those rogue thoughts behind as she finished in the bathroom, Kara made her way to the cot, avoiding eye contact with Revan. When she sat down, she risked a glance up and saw that Revan was sitting crossed leg on the bed, his hands glowing with a softish white light. 

_ ‘What are you doing?’ _ asked Kara over the bond.

_ ‘Healing my hands,’ _ he replied. 

Kara nodded and watched in fascination as charred and burnt skin was replaced with fresh tissue. The white light seemed to wind its way through his skin, pulling fresh tissue from the deeper tissue buried beneath. She had not known that a force user could use powers other than those which were destructive.

Revan caught her eye as he looked towards her. Kara was about to look away, but his voice caught her before she could.

“What I said, tonight, that was for a reason. I hope you can see that. I know how haunting one’s past can be. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it necessary,” he said sincerely. 

Kara sat in silence, not knowing how to respond. On the one hand, she hated that he had said those awful things and dredged up the past. On the other hand, due to his story, she could see why he did it. In his own way, he was trying to help her. To her surprise, he spoke again,

“The other night, when you… suggested I ate the food. What I said, that was wrong of me. It was childish, something Deema would say. I apologise for that,” Revan said sincerely. Through the bond, Kara could feel him trying to show his honesty. She didn’t reply straight away, instead she let him suffer a bit, seeing him fidget unsassuredly. It always amused her to see him a little bit uncomfortable. There was something about seeing someone who was so assured of himself have that subtle doubt in what they were doing. She didn’t push it too far however, as she wanted Revan to be more open with her. 

“It’s okay. Let us just agree to be a bit more amenable to each other from now on,” Kara remarked, accepting his apology. There was a comfortable moment between the two as they came to a mutual understanding. Finally Revan said, “Get some sleep, you’ll need it,” as he turned away from her, and his hands lit up again in a white light. 

Kara laid down in her bed, and for the first night in a long time, looked forward to the next day.

**   
  
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	9. Unwelcome Visitors

**Kara**

  
“What do you mean I can’t enter?” snarled Revan, his fists clenched in anger. Through the bond Kara could feel a lot of negative emotions, mainly fury and hate at a certain Amazon blocking Revan’s way. It was early morning, the city lazily awakening behind her as she watched Revan fume at the stubborn guard.

They were currently stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the royal palace. Today was the day Revan was due to meet the queen again, as it had been two weeks since he had first arrived. Yet, the Queen was too busy according to the guard. Kara recognised this Amazon as one she had spoken to before and didn’t think she would be doing this unless she was ordered to.

“The Queen is attending to pressing matters of her people at this time. She said that you would understand that her priority is her people,” the Amazon said matter of factly.

“I’ve been on this irksome island for two weeks. Two weeks...” Revan seethed, standing face to face with the guard, who to her credit didn’t flinch. Pausing, he leaned in closer and continued in a low voice, “Now stand aside, before I throw you aside.”

_‘Leave it, Revan,’_ Kara said over the bond, voicing her displeasure at his actions.

Revan barely acknowledged her while staring the unfortunate guard down. 

“Last chance,” he said threateningly, his face contorted in anger.

_‘Revan,’_ Kara warned, coming to his side and glaring at him.

The Amazon still did not move, she just watched Revan carefully. While some of the Amazons would have taken offence to Revan’s hostility, this one stood unyielding. The only sign that Revan was causing the Amazonian some stress was that Kara could hear the thundering of the Amazon's heart in her chest. 

Revan snarled at the Amazon, but before anything else happened, a familiar buzz through the bond caught Kara’s attention. She immediately turned and scanned the square for something out of place. Taking in everything around her, even using her enhanced vision, she still found nothing. Turning back she saw Revan looking at her questioningly, and the Amazon next to him giving them both strange looks. 

Revan gave one last chilling look towards the Amazon before he briskly spun on his heel and strode off towards the centre of the city, leaving Kara and the Amazon alone. Kara gave her an apologetic smile, before rushing to catch up to him.

In the last six days, they had come to somewhat tolerate each other’s company. At the start, Revan hadn’t really talked to her longer than necessary. After he had told the story about his Mandalorians, he had been quiet for the following days, not saying anything more about his past. Though it was a struggle for Kara due to her innate curiosity, she was happy to let him do it in his own time. 

The raw emotion over the bond and on his face had shown her that it was difficult for him to confront his past. Just last night, he had told her about his childhood and his old friends, Caleamar, Bastila and Meetra. Through the bond Kara had felt his anguish, anger and regret. At some moments it nearly overwhelmed him. Though when he talked about them, that light, the one that was deep within him, seemed to shine a little brighter. The lines on his face and the frown seemed to lift as he spoke of the trouble they got into. 

It was clear to her that he had cared deeply for his friends and like her had still not fully come to terms with his past. When he spoke of his stories, his whole manner would change. He became quiet and melancholic. His description of his world, well the Jedi world Tython, had enraptured her. The greenery, old temples and dangerous wildlife seemed so different to Krypton. She had never experienced the freedom that he and his friends had shared. Dreams were all she had, especially following the tests she underwent. 

She caught up to Revan quickly, keeping pace with him as he made his way towards the central plaza ahead, winding his way through the Amazonian citizens. 

_‘Is Cypher here?’_ questioned Kara over the bond.

_‘By your reaction, I think you know the answer,’_ replied Revan, his head swivelling.

They reached the centre of the market and looked around, yet neither of them found anything. The Amazons were just going about their normal day, a few giving them wary looks. 

Without warning, one of the passers by bumped into Revan, nearly knocking him over. Revan stumbled, but quickly recovered and glared in the direction where the offending party had rushed off to. Kara regarded Revan suspiciously, as she felt something wasn’t right. Though he showed anger on his face, it was not coming through the bond in any force. Revan noticed her look but didn’t say anything before he started to march back through the city.

Again, Kara followed him, stewing on her thoughts. Something wasn’t right about what had happened, but she did not know what. She watched him as they strode through the city, seeing him weave through the crowds, not letting anyone get closer than a good arm's length. Even those who burst through the crowd running, playing or unaware still never got close to him.

That was it.

Since he had arrived on the island, she had never seen him let anyone close to him apart from when he was training or fighting. Not once had any person ever been close enough to brush against him, let alone bump into him. She would question him when they got back to their dwelling. 

They didn't speak as they continued the long walk to their quarters. Kara studied his face as they journeyed, noticing the slightly darker colour of his skin. He was still pale, though the bloom of his skin was a lot healthier. His lips were now a healthy colour and his hair was clean and hung around his face like a dark mop. He had a dark stubble growing on his face that he trimmed, covering some of his scars, which made him look a little older than he actually was. He was close to how he looked on Krypton, though there was still something key missing in him. Kara could only see it when she looked into his eyes when he told his stories. It was like he was remembering a lost part of himself. 

“There you are,” cried a voice that Kara recognised, drawing her from her thoughts.

“Raina,” Kara replied in surprise, coming to a stop to greet her friend.

_‘I’ll see you back at our quarters,’_ Revan said before he started to move away.

“And where do you think you are going? I’ve been waiting for quite a while to meet you.” 

Revan let out a flash of irritation over the bond as he looked over his shoulder.

“Now you have,” Revan said, continuing to walk away.

“Oh no you don’t,” the Amazon said as she caught up to Revan, blocking his path.

“Out of my way,” he growled, though he did not try to push past her.

“I want to talk to you, Revan.”

Revan stared at Raina, his brow twitching. Neither wanted to give in. “Fine,” he relented as he crossed his arms. 

Raina flashed one of her dazzling smiles at him, her green eyes twinkling, before taking them off to the side of the walkway, away from prying eyes.

“I just want to thank you for what you did to Artemis, a lot of us didn’t like her.”

Revan raised his eyebrows, “That it?”

“Feisty one aren’t you? What are your intentions with Kara?” she asked, causing Kara to look at Raina in surprise.

“I’ve already told her. It is up to her if she wants to tell you.”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know you,” Revan said, the bond starting to simmer.

“I’m happy to change that, though there’s no rush,” Raina said with a sly smile. 

Revan just snorted, the anger dissipating. Through the bond, Kara sensed that he was reminded of someone over the bond. “We are done here,” he said, though he wasn’t annoyed or angry. 

“Just promise me something.” Raina asked.

Revan turned around, suspicion evident in his eyes. Kara was less suspicious, more curious as to what Raina was about to say.

“I failed to help my friend when I knew what was going on. Promise me you’ll do right by her,” Raina said regretfully, looking at Revan.

Kara looked at Raina with shock. 

Why did she say that to him?

“I don’t need Revan to look after me. I can do that by myself,” Kara fumed.

Revan’s dark eyes regarded Raina before turning away. Through the bond, Kara sensed a multitude of emotions; pain, regret and sorrow. Yet, there was also hope. His emotions swirled like a vortex within him.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Raina said, smirking, watching him walk away.

Revan didn’t reply, instead he just walked off, his robe swishing in the wind behind him.

“Strange man, though I can see why you like him. I’ve never looked at someone and thought they could kill me with just a look. Someone like that has gone through some stuff.”

“Let’s just get something straight. I don’t like him. He is annoying, frustrating and as stubborn as they come.” 

“Right.” Raina teased with a grin on her face, “The real reason I came to see you, apart from wanting to meet our resident grumpy monk, is that this is the last time I’m going to see you for a while. I’ve been stationed to the west of the island.”

Kara was stunned for a moment. 

“Oh, well… goodbye Raina. Thanks for everything you've done. I…”

“Ah, don’t go teary eyed on me now Kara. Will we see each other again, I know it,” she said with such belief that Kara believed it too.

Raina’s emerald eyes suddenly twinkled with mischief. “I do have one request though.”

“What?” Kara asked, already not liking the look in her eyes.

“If anything happens between you and Revan, I want to be the first to know.”

“Nothing is going to happen.” Kara said, scowling at her friend.

Raina just laughed. “Anyway, see you around, Kara.” And with a hug, Raina hurried off, leaving Kara alone before she set off to catch up to Revan.

They arrived back at their quarters while the sun was still rising above them. Kara had no idea what they were going to do today. Revan had doubted that they would even be able to train, due to his meeting with the queen.

Kara felt that her training had come on leaps and bounds in just the last few days. Sure, Revan worked her hard and always expected one hundred and ten percent from her. At first, she had failed to capture that same feeling she had had when Revan had antagonized her. After some help from him over the bond, she was now able to stoke that fire herself. It was a strange feeling, to be so charged with emotion and strength, yet not being able to direct it properly. She hated the feeling, like a volcano primed to explode. Revan and her had argued over it, with him saying that she needed to always be able to control and fight like that, while Kara countered that it was not something she wanted to feel all the time. It was not who she was. But Revan would not budge. Slowly but surely, she was increasing her control when she was in this state.

In the beginning of her training, Revan had assured her that no matter what she did, he would be fine. They had mainly focused on hand to hand combat, basic movement and spatial awareness. The other day he had taught her the ins and outs of a large scale battle. To Kara, the advice had seemed very basic, but she had taken it on board anyway.

One key difference with her training was that when she had done something right with the Amazons, all she got was nods and then they transitioned onto the next move. On the other hand, Revan would ask for her to repeat it hundreds of times, commenting on things in which she could improve. It was tiresome, though Revan knew to offer some praise or words of encouragement at just the right time. 

Another lesson in which Revan had taught her quickly was that she was never to use her super speed to arrive in a fight unless it was to launch a surprise attack. He told her to scout out the surroundings, for the fighter who knows the battlefield best, held a distinct advantage. While not as fun as when they trained physically, she still enjoyed learning about tactics and battlefield knowledge.

Kara had also started to join in his morning workout routine. While some of the stuff was trivial for her in the beginning, Revan had used the force to increase the pressure on her. It had shocked her when she had tried swimming in the pool to find the entirety of the pool pushing against her at the speed of rapids. When he practised using the force, she instead practised her super powers. Sometimes she flew through the air, feeling the wind rush past her, and other times she practised her heat vision and cold breath. He never said anything to her apart from what they were going to do, though she didn’t mind the peace. She could see why he did it, after that workout, she felt ready for the day no matter what Revan threw at her, sometimes literally. 

It was strange for Kara, being taught by him. Part of her wanted to hate him for what he had done to her people and she did. The other part told her that this was a man who had gone through things which no one person that young should go through in their life. Kara knew that she didn’t know all that Revan had done, but when she looked at him she didn’t see an evil man.

She saw a man’s own darkness trying to snuff out his light.

She saw someone who was human. 

The optimist in her wanted to say that he had changed since Krypton, become someone better.

The realist just pointed to his arrival and how he had acted, let alone looked.

Kara just hoped that he wasn’t using her like a tool, to be discarded when she fulfilled her purpose. The words still stuck with her when he had told her to always think the worst of people. She couldn’t help but wonder what was the worst he could be heading towards.

As they walked in, Revan made his way over to his armour and started inspecting it, while Kara went over to the window overlooking the balcony. Kal’s package caught her attention, begging her to open it. She had been putting it off, scared of what she may find underneath. She didn’t know what she would feel if Kal had found out about her… proximity to Revan. Was he going to tell her to stay away from him? Or was he just going to wash his hands of her? Both questions made her feel sick. If the package did contain…

Revan was checking his armour.

She had seen him do it a thousand times, at the beginning and at the end of every day. Immediately, she knew that something was wrong. 

“What’s going on Revan?” Kara demanded, watching him like a hawk.

“Nothing that concerns you,” he replied smoothly. There was no indication he was lying over the bond.

“Revan…” Kara started.

“We’ve got training to get back to,” he interjected, as he turned and strode over to the door that led to the garden. “Shall we?” he said before stepping out the door.

Reluctantly, Kara followed him out the door, giving his back a dirty look. When he didn’t want to talk, he was the most frustrating person on this world. His walls would instantly rise and the conversation would just shut down entirely, usually with him leaving to do anything else other than talk, such as meditate or start reading. 

For the rest of the day they trained hard. Revan instructed her on how to make the battlefield her ally by utilising its elements. Whether it was using a rock as a projectile, the water as a disorienting effect or knowing what ground was the best to stand on. She had to admit, Revan was quite imaginative. At one point as a demonstration, he had ripped a small part of the cliff to crush her with his telekinesis. She caught it easily, though as a consequence of her being immobile for just a second while catching the piece of rock, the ground rose up making a loud grating noise and cocooned her legs. Chucking the rock to the side, Kara subsequently broke free from the grip of the earth. Unfortunately, by the time she had managed this, it was already too late. Something wet hit her like a truck from behind her, knocking her to the ground. She laid there, drenched. Luckily for her, the white bodysuit that she had been wearing was waterproof. Pulling herself up, she looked behind her to find the pool at the end of the garden nearly empty. A titter escaped her mouth at the thought that she had just been beaten by a body of water. Of all the things she had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that.

Later on, for the first time since Revan had started to train her, Kara had done the impossible and managed to impress him. A few hours after her drenching, she deep frozen some of the waterfall with her icy breath and then smashed them into blunted ice shards. Quickly, she launched them at Revan, which he deflected easily, sending them careening into the ground around him. An idea sprung into her head then. Kara knew she wouldn't have long before the crystals melted and so moved to where she thought was the right position. Using the refraction of the crystals, she tried using her heat vision to bounce them off each other to attack Revan’s flank. It all seemed to work in her head.

Unfortunately, she must have got the angle wrong as she ended up setting fire to a bush. To make matters worse, she had rushed to put it out, encasing the entire plant with her cold breath. She looked around at a loss for what to do next, before her gaze finally ended on Revan trying to suppress a smile.

“Not a word,” Kara fumed in embarrassment, looking around for anything that might help.

Revan, still trying to control his facial features, moved swiftly past Kara and approached the poor bush. Through the bond, Kara could tell he was enjoying this. It was the first time she had felt real happiness in a long time, and she couldn’t help herself with a small smile which she tried to hide. He inspected it, before putting his hand out and summoning a flame to his hand. Moving his hand in a circular motion, he passed it over the frozen bush, melting away its icy shell. He stood there for a minute, carefully and precisely coaxing the plant from its frosty tomb. Kara watched in amazement at what he was doing. The force was such a mystery to her. It seemed that it allowed for powers that were behind science. She decided then and there that she wanted to learn more about it. And with Revan currently stuck trying to free the bush from its icy fate, what better time was there to ask?

“The force, what is it?”

Revan continued his motions, though through the bond she could tell he was thinking. 

“It’s something that exists in all of us. It exists in all beings in the universe, big or small, though only a few are gifted the ability to tap into it.”

“What are its uses?”

“It’s not a tool. Some see it that way; a weapon to be used as they see fit. Others see it as a way to gain enlightenment, through meditation and study. But the truth is much more complicated than that.”

He paused thoughtfully, the bush nearly free again.

“It is a living force. It can offer dreams of possible futures and warnings of terrible things. It is neither good nor evil. Just a guide.”

“Doesn’t that make it a tool then?”

“Who is to say it’s guiding you on your own path, and not its? Many have tried to bring the force to balance by extinguishing the light or dark. And yet none have been successful. Those that have tried to balance the force itself often lead themselves and those around them into a catastrophe.”

Kara pondered Revan’s answers about the force, which she now found intrigued her even more. She filed them away to think on later. 

When he had finished, he turned to face her, still with an amused glint in his eyes. It made him look younger. Kara found it nice to see Revan happy for once; not brooding or sad like he usually was.

“The idea with the crystals… Something like that is how you need to think on the battlefield. I must admit, I’m slightly impressed,” Revan spoke sincerely, looking at her appraisingly.

“Just slightly impressed?” Kara teased in return.

Something in Revan’s gaze flickered then, barely perceptible, but there nonetheless. Kara had no idea what it was, but it made her nervous.

“You still missed, however, which would have resulted in your or your allies’ deaths. You need to work on it,” he said quickly as he moved away from her, shaking his head as he went. Kara silently berated herself for what she had said. She knew he was disappointed by the arrogance of her statement. Consequently, she promised herself that she would show him that she wasn’t arrogant, and that wasn’t how she really felt. Taking a steadying breath, Kara launched herself back into her training again.

The sun seemed to blaze across the sky for how quick the rest of the day went. They didn’t even pause for lunch, they just kept going and going and going. Both of them were dripping with sweat by the time they had finished. To Kara, it seemed that Revan was really throwing his all into the training. His intensity for making her work harder was both surprising and impressive. 

They laboured into their quarters after, bodies tired and aching, Revan collapsing into the chair by the desk, while Kara dragged herself into the bathroom to cleanse the grit and grime from her body. She threw her dirty bodysuit into the magical washer and stepped into the open shower. The cold water caressing her skin was a welcoming feeling as she stood under the shower. 

After enjoying the shower, she exited and collected her body suit. The mirror caught her attention as she glanced up. Her figure was more muscular than she remembered. Whether this was due to the yellow sun’s effects or her training, she did not know. Tearing herself away from the mirror, she slowly put her body suit back on, her muscles and joints protesting at the effort.

Finally, Kara stepped outside the bathroom and collapsed at the desk, her meal waiting for her. Opposite her, Revan closed the book he was reading, his food in front of him. He carefully placed the book with the others using the force; the book not making a sound as it came to rest. There was something on Revans mind, she could feel it through the bond. It had been there since the incident at the plaza. He said nothing and Kara wanted to push him, to see what that had all been about, but for once she let it drop. She was too tired to try and pry any information out of him.

Over the last week, it had become an unwritten rule between them that they ate at the same time. This was the time that Revan was usually the most talkative, though that wasn’t saying a lot. Sometimes, he would say just a sentence about his early life. Sometimes it seemed as if he couldn’t stop talking, like he was reliving a memory and didn’t want to let go. And sometimes, he said nothing at all. He was still guarded when he talked, though the memories he had were rarely sad. While he talked, she remembered her own childhood, similar to Revan’s in a way. They were both taught to be dutiful to their factions, to be one of the next leaders.

Despite herself, she actually found them eating together comfortable… she didn’t really know how to explain it. It seemed so trivial, so normal. Yet that’s what it was, they could just be two normal people sharing a meal together. It reminded her of her family before the war came to her galaxy.

Tonight, Revan surprised her. As she came back from disposing of their rubbish, she was greeted with an unnerving sight. He still sat at the desk, his back rigid, his eyes fixated on the thing in front of him on the desk. The subject of his attention was Kal’s package. It was the size of one her pillows, coloured blue with house El’s symbol emblazoned in the centre of it.

“What are you doing?” Kara asked sharply, storming over to him. “That’s my property, not yours!”

“Sit,” Revan commanded, as he regarded her coolly, in a tone which she had not heard before. 

“Do you not respect personal boundaries?” Kara fumed at him, refusing to sit.

“You really want to talk about personal boundaries?” Revan mocked, a dark eyebrow raised. 

“That was an accident and you know it,” Kara said flustered. It had not passed her by that he had become more relaxed around her, enough to make the few occasional dry comments. There was someone under that rough and damaged exterior, and ever so slowly, she was finding him.

Revan made it worse by having the gall to allow one of his little annoying smiles to sneak on to his face. The smile she rather enjoyed seeing. How dare he be finding this amusing?

He stood suddenly, their faces inches apart. His eyes were so dark and intense, his face honest with that little smile that was teasing her. Even through the bond Kara could feel his warmth like she had on Krypton. 

There was no escape. He was all around her, though the bond and in the space in front of her. Her heartbeat was loud in her chest as she gazed up at him. Kara felt a flutter in her stomach. She suddenly felt sick. His breath gently tickled her nose as they stared each other down. The bond was crackling on both sides. 

Were they both feeling this?

“You need to open that package,” Revan said quietly, not breaking eye contact. “It’s eating at you, I can sense it,” 

“I will do it, when I’m ready,” Kara replied stubbornly.

“You called me out for being afraid and I listened. Now I’m doing the same for you. Don’t let fear control you,” he exclaimed earnestly, his large dark eyes imploring her to listen to him. 

She still wanted to argue with him, to tell him he was wrong.

But he was right. Damn him, he was right. 

Kara broke the eye contact as she nodded in defeat, sitting down at the desk, though she did mumble, “I was going to do it anyway.”

That small smile on Revan’s face seemed to grow ever so slightly, before Revan slowly moved past her towards the door of the bathroom. 

“Kara,” Revan called from the doorway.

She turned her head in acknowledgment.

“Your parents would be proud of you, never doubt that.”

Kara nodded, the mention of her parents causing a pang of emotions to rise up. She heard the bathroom door close and her head fell to the table.

His words resonated within her.

He didn’t need to say that.

Why did he say that?

It was the nicest thing anyone had said to her since Krypton.

She didn’t even need to look at his face to see the sincerity. The words were said with warmth through the bond, with honesty and kindness around them.

Feeling exhausted, she sat there with her head on the table. Would her parents be proud? She loved them so much, even now. Nothing would stop her from getting them back if there was a way. 

But there wasn’t.

How would they feel about her… situation with Revan? It was starting to scare her that she was beginning to actually care for him. 

The man who had killed thousands of her people. 

The man who was at least partly responsible for her planet's destruction. 

The man who had saved her life, was kind to her and listened to her when no one else had. Well, ‘listened’ may have been pushing it. 

Shaking herself from these thoughts, she raised her head to take in the package in front of her. Slowly, she put her hand to it, hesitating just before she reached it.

Your parents would be proud of you, never doubt that.

His words rang in her ears. Steadily, she dropped her hand to the package, tracing the symbol of house El with her finger. Gently, Kara placed her palm on the symbol. She heard a soft clink, and the emblem split into two, revealing what laid beneath. There was a set of Kryptonian clothes in blue and red folded neatly, with a note on top. Gingerly, she picked the note up and began to read it.

_To my cousin Kara,_

_Let me begin by apologising to you. I can’t imagine what you are going through, living on this world while the memories of Krypton are still fresh in your mind. It was one benefit I had, I suppose, that I had no memory of Krypton or my family, just pictures. It can’t be easy with Revan there either, though you’ve endured him before and so I'm sure you’ll do it again. The man's haunted. I've seen it in enough people to recognise it. Just watch yourself around him._

_I know I haven’t been there for you and it probably does not look like I care a lot. I deeply regret only spending two weeks with you and then sending you to Themyscira. It was not the introduction I was hoping for. The truth is Kara that this world, like the rest of the universe, is a dangerous place. _

_Most of the people here are good people. _

_But there are also some bad ones as well. _

_I have made enemies. Some of them would stop at nothing to hurt you or me, just because we are Kryptonian. I would take that risk, if it meant being able to show you this world._

_But something is happening on this planet. We all feel it. Something's not right._

_Even Batman is unusually restless. He wouldn’t admit it, but he is. _

_I want you to know that if there was any way in which I could be by your side as you learn and adjust to you making this planet your new home, then I would do it. But to my everlasting regret, I can’t. Not until whatever is coming has passed. _

_I don’t want to lose the only Kryptonian family I have, again._

_If you ever need to talk, I’ve enclosed a Kryptonian communication device in the clothing. I’m sure you know how to use it._   
_Sincerely, your cousin Kal El_

_PS One day I want to show you the family that took me in on Earth. They would love to meet you._

_PPS The clothes were on your ship, I just forgot to give them to you as you left. They are similar in design to mine. Hopefully you feel as at home in them as I do mine. _

Kara read the note again, countless times, checking if she had missed anything. She tried to be thankful for Kal putting her here. For leaving her here.

But she couldn’t. 

Revan’s words echoed in her ears even now. She wanted to believe that Kal was doing this for her, that this was his way of trying to protect her. Kal had been careful around her, never pushed, never demanded. But it was so fleeting the time he was actually there. If he had had the time she hoped that he would have sat and listened to her. 

Yet, Kal hadn’t even visited since her time on the island began. While the words were nice to read, they were just words. 

However, whatever this threat was, Kara understood his feelings on it. Naively, she had once thought that yellow Kryptonians couldn’t die. They were the heroes that were supposed to be unbeatable, protecting the Kryptonian people from the most dangerous of threats. And yet Revan and Brainiac had picked them apart and showed the galaxy that they were not immortal, that they could be killed. She wanted to fly to Kal right now, talk with him and learn from him. Maybe even help him against whatever this looming threat was. But if she was in Kal’s shoes, as it had been supposed to be, then she would do the same thing as him.

He was the last of her family.

Still, she wondered what Revan would do if he had the chance to spend time with one of his long lost friends. Would he still perform his duty even if it meant not being able to see them again? If it was his world he was protecting, would he still give her the time of day?

Nevertheless, Revan was her responsibility. Leaving now would allow him too much free reign with the Amazons who were too busy with whatever darkness was stirring. She wondered if maybe the two darknesses were connected, but dismissed that thought. There was nothing to link them other than timing. Anyway, the Amazons had finally put their trust in her, or rather the Queen had. Kara was not going to let her down.

And if she was honest…

Kara was kind of warming to Revan. Sure he could be cold and distant, but he could also be kind and considerate. It didn’t help that the longer he spent on the island, the more human he seemed to become.

Thinking of Revan, she heard the shower running behind her. She knew she had a couple of minutes before he would finish, and so tried on her new outfit. All of the material was made from an extra strong fabric, showing no signs of stress as she pulled at it. Kara guessed and hoped that it would protect her from most forms of weaponry. 

There was a thin black undersuit which Kara put on first, doing so at superspeed, in case Revan had finished sooner than she had expected. It kind of reminded her of Revan’s undersuit. She wondered absentmindedly whether they could be made from a similar material. After that, there was the knee high dark red boots, which fitted her snuggly. Next was a skirt the same colour as boots, which came down to the bottom of her thighs, leaving a little gap between it and her boots. Following this was a long dark blue top with House El’s symbol emblazoned on the front which fitted snugly over the black undersuit. There was even a red cape, which fell to the back of her knees. To add to the final touch, there was a slot for the Kryptonian communicator and a slit pocket on her right hip which was ideal for her knife.

It felt perfect for her. It was light, tight but in a comfortable way and it made her feel good to wear it. Kara smiled properly for the first time in a long time. It felt good to be wearing something for Krypton. It still made her sad, but with this she could honour Krypton and her parents' memory. As soon as Revan came out of the bathroom, she would thank him for pushing her. 

Kara looked at the bathroom door. He had been in the shower for a good thirty minutes now. He never usually took that long. Looking away from the door, something caught her attention. Or rather, the lack of something caught her attention. As she scanned the room, there was the desk, bed and an empty stand…

Oh… 

Kara's heart started to beat faster due to the absence of Revan’s black armour. 

Turning quickly, she used her X-ray vision to peer into the bathroom…

To find the water running over an empty shower.

Kara panickedly looked around the room, seeing that the knives and the armour were gone. Trying to reach him through the bond, she shouted his name. All she was met with was silence. The only thing she could tell was that he wasn’t near her. 

Immediately, she took flight, exiting the front door and launching up into the night sky with her cape flapping behind her. She tried looking everywhere for him for him with her advanced vision. Yet, he was nowhere to be found. She shouted in frustration. Why, why had he done this?   
What was he going to do?

Kara had known something was up with him since that incident in the city. He was her responsibility. If anyone on the island got hurt because of Revan, it would be her fault. Seeing no other choice, she reluctantly flew towards the city of Themyscira, praying to Rao that Revan hadn’t done something reckless.

Revan

Silently, he made his way down an offbeat track towards his destination. The path he was on had split off from the main path to the city a while back, and by the gentle sound of the waves lapping ahead, he knew it led to the sea. The moon of this planet fully controlled the sky now, bathing the island in a pale light. The jungle around him hummed with life, either ignoring him or ignorant of his presence. To hide from a Kryptonian, one had to be indistinguishable from the environment. Dec and Deema had both told him that as soon as he had asked them about fighting Kryptonians. Well, Deema had muttered how Revan would die straight away, then when Revan didn’t leave him alone, taught him how to hide from a Kryptonian. 

Over the course of the war, he had managed to enhance his shielding and sneaking techniques to levels in which even yellow sun Kryptonians would struggle to find him. He distorted the force around him into a bubble including light and sound, confusing anyone trying to detect him. The only problem was that the bigger the distortion, the harder it was for him to detect others outside of it. He guessed that Kara would be even harder to detect, due to her force signature being his. 

Even now, he could feel the force flowing through the environment, its touch and presence everywhere. Yet where he stood, it distorted itself, making it appear as if nothing was there.

As the waves of the sea got louder, he felt a sudden spike of emotion. It was happiness, longing and a little sadness as well. So, Kara had opened her package from her cousin. Revan had hoped she would. He had analysed it with the force and his holo computer in his gauntlet and found nothing out of the ordinary. The look of it reeked of Kryptonian. The colours, the fact it was more ornate and complicated than it needed to be were what gave it away. Whatever it was, as long as she found some solace in it, Revan didn’t really care. 

After he had told her that her parents were proud of her, he had shut the bathroom door without entering it. Then, with her mind distracted by her own emotions and the package, it was easy to distort the area she was sitting in. He created a little pocket, in which sound or movement would not be seen from the outside. Using the force, he had brought his armour and knives to him. He had stood there for just a moment as she had put her head to the table. Again, in a short space of time, he had felt something other than anger, bitterness and regret within him. It was a contentedness, the feeling that he was happy because she was happy. Just like how her eyes shined when he had complimented her failed crystal manoeuvre.

The mornings were now something he looked forward to, working out alongside her. It had been a surprise to him when Kara had asked if she could join in with what he was doing. The training was something he had learnt from his time in the war, as he found it prepared him for the day ahead. It had also allowed him to leave the nightmares that had haunted him since he was ten years old to disappear for a few moments.

He had accepted Kara’s request, not believing she would do it for more than one morning. Yet she had proved him wrong, and that phrase ‘never underestimate a Kryptonain’ rang in his ears once again. Seeing her carefree, flying, always made Revan marvel at her. He had seen Kryptonains fly before, but she seemed so happy and innocent. And through the bond he could feel her excitement. She was a typical Kryptonain, liking trying to beat him at whatever he was doing. He didn’t mind too much, though he never let her win everything. 

His chest had tightened a little when she had teased him earlier, and not wanting to give that feeling any more credence, he had walked away before she sensed something over the bond. Feelings like that would only make this situation a whole lot more complicated. Just like when he had told her to open the package, and she stormed over to him, all fury. Their proximity had affected him, the same feeling that had hit him earlier came back with a vengeance. 

It scared him.

She scared him.

Kara made him think of things he had buried long ago.

Feelings which had nearly got him killed.

Memories which he refused to revisit.

Part of him had wanted to stay there with her, to see her reaction as she opened her package. To see her happy once again.

He had immediately quashed that feeling however. Deema wouldn’t have gone to that much risk to deliver him a message if it wasn't urgent. Quietly, he had exfiltrated the building, equipped his armour and sheathed his knives after he had got a good distance away, before he released the pocket around Kara. The city had been quiet when he had slipped out. There were a few guards, though he found them easy to avoid. He knew that he did not have long before Kara realised he had disappeared. And knowing her, she would come looking for him, and probably find him.

As Dec had always said, ‘Never underestimate a Kryptonian.’

Revan hadn’t been surprised when he had been bumped into by Deema in the city. The letter that he had slipped him just had a time and set of coordinates on it. Deema liked old school techniques and Revan also understood that his favourite place was to be out in the field. He couldn’t imagine Deema sitting behind a desk filling out holo reports all day. He was sure the man had some kind of mental enhancement, not allowing him to remain motionless for more than a couple of seconds. Unless it was to accomplish something, in which case he would be as still as a statue. It had probably saved his life many times.

After leaving the city, he had booted up the holo computer built into his left gauntlet and typed in the coordinates he received from Deema. On the satellite map, it led to a beach on the south of the island, about one kilometre away. So he had carefully made his way there, making no disturbance as he went. 

Revan found it strange that Deema was back on the island so soon, though he found it comforting that he was nearby. Deema did not normally operate so close to him. Usually, when he was in the field, Deema only checked in every three months, or when Revan threatened to come and find him. Revan knew he needed to speak with him soon, but he also knew that Deema would find him when he needed to. 

As he came to the end of the path, it opened up to a pale beach that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Even Revan had to admit, it was quite the vista. The tranquility reminded him of when he had seen the lights of the north in Skyrim for the first time. He knew he could not let what happened there happen here. Learning and adapting from his mistakes was something he took pride in, promising himself to never make the same mistake twice. The Mandalorian culture taught no weakness, and he had used it to help pull himself back from the brink. The knives that were slotted in his armour were a constant reminder of this.

Shaking his head clear of the past, he noticed a wooden plank laying flat on the sand. Knowing this was the right spot, he made his way to it. As he stepped on the sand, he made no sound, just leaving the smallest imprints on the sand that the gentle breeze soon dispersed. Reaching the wood, he turned it over to see six etchings. Knowing what it meant, he looked to where the wood had been, disappointed that neither his mask nor lightsabers were there. Deema obviously wanted him to remain anonymous in this meeting.

Just in front of Revan, he could feel a disturbance in the force, like a slight quiver from a taut string. He took twenty steps back from the tremor in the force, turned to face it and knelt, preparing himself for what was to come. He checked his equipment one last time, ensuring his armour and knives were equipped securely.

After he finished checking his equipment, he pulled his black hood up over his head. Feeling the force flow around him, he began to meditate. Ghosts wrestled within him and moved around him, finding their places. He thought of those he had lost and those he had left. No one else would be taken from him. It had been a while since they had haunted him, yet they knew their job. All Revan felt as he meditated was happiness over the bond. He knew it would not last, so he let that feeling warm him. When he finally closed his eyes, he saw shining blue ones staring back.

A few minutes later

The slight tremor in the force started to fluctuate wildly, alerting Revan from his meditation. He quickly used the force to hide the beach's presence to make sure he wasn’t interrupted. 

Suddenly, a yellow tube popped into existence, thrumming loudly. Around the edges of the tube, yellow energy flowed outward, dissipating into the air around it. Sand kicked up at the entrance to the yellow tube, creating little sand piles to the right and left of it. It was a portal of some kind, though that’s all he knew. As he stared into it, it did not show what lay on the other side. The edges seemed to meet in the middle a couple of metres behind the portal.

Soon enough, six figures emerged one by one. Revan recognised their type; pirates, slavers and bounty hunters, causing anger and hate to start to churn within him. People like them were scum, preying on the unfortunate to line their own pockets. They were dressed in light gear, so they were obviously not expecting a fight. Interestingly, they had what looked like tracking equipment with them. They spotted him straight away all raising their energy weapons. A couple of them also had what looked like shock collars, which sent another wave of disgust through Revan.

None of them took a step back, though he sensed fear coming from two of them. With a final roar, the portal collapsed back into nothingness behind the new arrivees. Now, it was just Revan and his ghosts against six heavily armed dead men. 

“Well, look here lads. What do we have here?” A giant of a man said, holding what looked like some kind of laser machine gun. Red lights of energy seemed to flow through the weapon, giving it a life of its own. That gun would do some serious damage, if he let it. Also on the man's right shoulder was a mounted rocket launcher, similar to the one Dec used to use. Dec would be quite handy for this, though Revan wasn’t too concerned.

“One of you knows who I am,” Revan replied mysteriously, counting on the two who were afraid to actually know of him. If they already knew who he was, he could use that. However, it did make Deema’s hope of Revan's identity remaining anonymous evaporate. One of the two men who reeked of fear was physically shaking, completely unnerved by Revan waiting for them. The other however, was a little calmer, but still Revan could sense the muted fear coming from him.

The men all shrugged or looked at another one by one until the man trying to remain calm stepped forward, lowering his gun. 

“Lord Revan, I take it?” he asked with a slight tremor in his voice. Revan commended the man's bravery. It was hard to talk to a man who would be trying to kill you soon.

‘Lord?’ thought Revan curiously. Revan nodded his hooded head in acknowledgment.  
A third started to reek of fear, his brow sweating. 

“Who the fuck is that?” yelled the big man, his face twisted in confusion. 

The calm man stayed where he was, but he had a faraway look in his eye, remembering something. He began to speak,

“I have heard rumours about him before. An undefeatable warrior and leader that brought the Kryptonians to their knees. He was the reason that they were finally put in their place.” A couple of the lowlifes around him nodded their heads, agreeing that they had heard those rumours as well . 

“Rumours were that he had been killed taking Krypton, or in the civil war his galaxy was plunged into following that. There were others as well, but they all had the same premise. He was gone,”

He paused thinking for a moment.

“A… Mandalorian, that’s it. One of them came to the bar on this alien world I was on, when I was on a week’s break. Couldn’t miss the guy. Big bulky blue armour, an axe in one hand and a drink in another. He walked over to the bar, threw down his helmet and promised that he would buy everyone a drink if they listened to his story. A couple came over to listen, but most stayed where they were, ignoring him.”

“He began telling the story of the fall of Krypton, and started talking and talking about this Lord Revan, saying he was the ultimate Mandalorian and the bane of all Kryptonians. Said he wore armour as black as dead space, a mask that haunted demons and fought with five iron knives for carving up his enemies,” 

“The people who were listening disbelieved, those who tried to ignore him struggled with how loud he was. When he finished, downing the rest of his drink, he stood, stretched and slotted his helmet back on. In one of the side rooms, there was a meeting taking place with a few of the bosses. One of them must have had enough of the loudmouth, and wanted to teach him a lesson. You had to be stupid to come into this bar and make a scene. I saw my boss who had beaten and killed men everyday, shit himself as the Mandalorian helmet turned to face him. The boss had left the door open, thinking no one was stupid enough to try anything. The Mandalorian threw some kind of grenade. It flew straight past the crime boss, down the stairs into the meeting room.”

The man took a moment, a shadow falling over his face.

“I still remember the silence as I saw the grenade enter the doorway. Five seconds. Then boom, the whole building shook. There were screams everywhere, burning bodies flailing around wildly. And in the middle of it was the Mandalorian executing my boss. Took his head straight off with an axe. He told us all to stay out of his system, or next it would Revan who paid them a visit, and he never took any prisoners. Someone, I don’t know who, cried that he was dead, and the man just laughed. He said that this was their only warning. And with that, he struck down the gang members who had rushed to see what had happened, before walking straight out the burning entrance,”

Revan looked on in surprise at the story. He sometimes forgot he had been gone for thirty five years. Seems like he was still remembered by a lot of people. He had spent most of his time reading about Earth on his way here. It was a stark reminder that the universe was a bigger place than just wherever he was.

“Bravo Tony, nice story. Everyone knows that happened ‘cause of a faulty gas leak. No way would anyone dare do that to the bosses,” one of the others said, though there was a hesitation in his voice.

“Yeah, no one messes with Intergang,” the last confident member stated.

“Cypher would,” Revan spoke then, his deep voice reverberating around the beach. 

All of them suddenly reeked of fear. Surprisingly their big leader stunk the most. He had obviously heard of Cypher. Revan found it amazing how one name could inspire such terror in the hearts of all men, no matter if they were good or evil. And to Revan, he was an ally and a giant pain in the backside.

“Look Rev… Lord Revan. We are here for the Kryptonian girl, that’s it. Let us pass and nothing bad has to happen,” the large leader said resignedly, trying to sound in control.

Everyone on that beach knew he wasn’t. 

So that’s why they were here. The tracking gear all made sense now. Still they should have needed more equipment and people if they were hunting a Kryptonian. Unless they had a way to level the playing field.

Revan’s anger flared thinking about them taking Kara. He wouldn’t call her a friend or even an ally. But as much as he hated it, she had unknowingly grown on him with her goodness and stubbornness. He felt that they were at least amicable with each other as well, something which Revan would never have thought he would say about a Kryptonain. Even with the bond they shared and the things she knew of him, they had come to respect each other. Plus, it didn’t help that she was one of the most attractive people he had ever met. 

Revan realised then that there was no way on this planet that he was going to let these men take her. 

When Revan didn’t reply, the man tried again. “We don’t fail our bosses, you either give her to us now or we will come back later, when you aren’t ready. It doesn’t matter to us.”

“The girl is under the protection of the Galactic Confederation. You want her, you have to go through me,” Revan spat, wanting the fight to begin as soon as possible. Not that he was bloodthirsty, but he knew it wouldn’t be long now.

“So be it,” the large man said. “Fire up the boom tube.” The man called ‘Tony’ got a rectangular device out of his pocket and pressed it, yet nothing happened. 

“What are you doing?” roared the large man at ‘Tony’. Losing his head a little, he snatched the device from ‘Tony’ and tried using the device again and again. Unfortunately for him, he was just as successful as Tony. They stood in dumbfoundment, all staring at the nonexistent portal.

The leader turned back to face Revan after shoving the transport device into ‘Tony’s’ awaiting hands, fear evident in his eyes. 

Revan then felt a sudden shift in the bond then, of trepidation and unease. 

Kara knew he was missing. 

He didn’t have a lot of time.

“Look, I get it. You hate Kryptonians. We don’t care for them either. We don’t even care what condition she is in, but you give her to us, Intergang won’t forget that. We’ll even give you a reward later. We all walk away happy and alive. What d’you say?” propositioned the leader.

_‘Revan,’_ Kara cried over the bond. She sounded genuinely concerned. However, Revan knew if she was to find him now, that she would be put in needless danger. Due to this, he ignored her, and her subsequent calls to over the bond.

Instead, Revan let the men sweat a bit, knowing the longer he left it, the more impact it would have. Fear was as good a weapon as any lightsaber or blaster.

“Who wants her?” Revan demanded, his head still bowed.

“Who doesn’t want her? She is a weapon and a smoking hot chick all rolled into one,” the leader replied, smiling.

Revan had to restrain himself from ripping them apart with the force. The thought of even one of them getting near her made him feel sick. His fingers dug into his knees as he struggled to control himself. Nothing good would come of it. 

There was no honour in annihilation.

That was not the Mandalorian way.

Instead, he had already decided these men’s fate. They would die with a weapon in their hand, trespassing illegally on a sacred island. For once, Revan and these islands more godly elements may agree on something. 

He didn’t know who ‘Intergang’ were, but Deema would have told him if they were peaceful. What he did know was that they were definitely not welcome here.

“You’re not leaving this island alive,” came Revan’s chilling reply.

All six men in front shivered in fear, raising and readying their guns, sights trained on Revan. Most of their guns were shaking in sweating hands. 

The force around him was buzzing with anticipation. He saw many paths in this battle, most leading to victory, some leading to an unsatisfactory ending. In the end, he made his choice.

One of the braver ones drew him away from his thinking by shouting, “You sure talk a lot for a man who is one against six. We will be the ones who live, you… you... insane monk.”

Revan stood slowly, his breaths slow and steady as the force swirled around him, ignoring the pitiful insult. His muscles ached as he took note of their positions, though adrenaline started to pump through him. The leader and two others were standing in the front, while the other three were standing just behind them. They all had a line of sight on him, so he would have to negate a lot of laser fire.

No problem.

“The moment you took your first step on this island, you were already dead,” and with that, he charged.


	10. Monsters Within

**Revan**

**   
  
**

Five of the enemies opened fire. Little red laser bolts zipped through the air towards Revan, though they didn’t reach him. As they began firing, he descended upon them, Revan had shot out his left arm and caught their laser fire in the forcefield in front of him, drawing out the curved dagger from its sheath on his left forearm.

A couple of the men stopped firing, pulling explosives from their belts, readying to arm and throw them. They never got the chance. In both of their foreheads, a blue laser hit dead centre, melting the top half of their heads in seconds.

Revan reached the man on the left of the front three first, darting around the left of the man’s gun and slicing his firing hand off. Despite his contorted face, a scream never left it as a waterfall of red cascaded down the man’s front from his opened throat. Revan felt a light splash of blood kiss his face gently.

Turning to his next target, the big leader roared and activated some kind of supercharged rounds, nearly breaking Revan’s forcefield. He quickly reinforced it with his right hand, still gripping his knife. Frustratingly for Revan, he realised that he had been caught off guard by the power of the weaponry he was facing, which was a stupid mistake. 

He used to be able to control the forcefield he was generating easier. Albeit, it had been a long time since he had needed to use this ability. He hadn’t needed it where all they used were magic, arrows and swords. The barrage of supercharged shots practically immobilised him while the leader unloaded round after round into his shield. Due to the effort of keeping the shield up, he had to disable the distortion barrier around the beach. He now regretted working so hard with Kara earlier that day. Thinking of her, she would be here within minutes now, as he sensed her force signature approaching.

Revan noticed to his left that the man named Tony was frozen in fear, his gun aimed at him but not firing. To his right, the last man rushed past his leader with a laser whip, holding it high in the air ready to strike. If he got close, Revan would have to drop the forcefield as there was no honour fighting an immobilised opponent. 

Unfortunately for him, the man wielding the whip made it just past his leader before four blue laser bolts smacked into the back of his torso, throwing him to the floor and killing him instantly. The leader stopped firing, and panickedly shot four rockets out of his shoulder mounted launcher at the surrounding area. Revan froze them with the force as well, knowing they would at best alert the Amazons to this skirmish and at worst kill his Ghosts. The leader went to quickly pull out a pistol, but he was too slow. Without the constant bombardment, Revan was able to move and control his forcefield again. With a flick of his left wrist, all the laser bolts frozen in his forcefield shot out the way they had entered, straight into the leader. His scream lasted for about half a second as the bullets ripped him apart, but Revan knew that was enough for Kara to find him. 

With the adrenaline roaring in his body from the fight, he flipped the rockets around, aiming them at ‘Tony’ before he let them loose. The man instantly threw down his weapon, terrified of his impending doom. Just before the rockets hit, Revan froze them again. To his credit, the man didn’t scream. 

The Ghosts who had been hidden in the surrounding areas came out of their hauntings, rapidly rushing to the area around ‘Tony’. He flinched in fear as they approached him. Their armour was a grey suit with some durasteel reinforcement over major organs. There were only a few tools and equipment on their armour, despite having the room to hold more. They all wore hoods which framed a helmet with multiple blue lights spread out over it. Their large cloaks, which were invisible from behind, flapped silently behind them as they approached. Two were coming down the hill behind Revan, one from the sea and one to Revan’s right, all with their weapons drawn and watching the surrounding environment.

Revan, taking a second to catch his breath, motioned to the bodies around him and the Ghosts understood. They cleaned the scene with a spray from their gauntlets, removing the blood from the sand. One the Ghosts placed a black pad with a metal pole sticking out of it onto the ground. Revan hated that device due to the disrespectful nature of it. Nevertheless he understood why it was needed. He had seen it in action before, on an operation just before Krypton. It pulled all unnatural elements towards it then closed up into a big black dome with repulsors underneath for easy transport. To Revan’s sickening astonishment, the metal pole sent out spikes which harpooned the largest objects and dragged them unceremoniously to the pad. It hadn’t done that the last time he had seen it.

Another of the ghosts shot the four hanging missiles with a small electric pulse, instantly disarming them and then catching them as they fell. 

Within fifteen seconds, the machine was done. The pad’s edges swelled and then shot upwards towards the top of the metal pole, completing the dome. The repulsor silently sprung to life, causing it to hover just above the ground.

While the ghosts cleaned the area, Revan cleaned his knife, boots and face in the surf, making sure to keep watching ‘Tony’ as he did. The man just watched the Ghosts go about their work with a terrified look. Revan didn’t blame him, there was a reason they were one of the most feared groups in the Galactic Confederation military. Revan just thanked the force that there had been a squad of them on his ship when he had arrived back in his own galaxy.

To Revan’s amusement, one of the Ghosts even sprayed him and ‘Tony’, completely cleaning their bodies and removing the blood of Tony’s former teammates from them. Revan was pretty sure Tony pissed himself as the ghost sprayed him, if the sudden smell of ammonia in the air was anything to go by. Looking away from the unpleasant stench, Revan was slightly disappointed to see his battered and dirty armour was still battered and dirty. Unfortunately, he knew it would look odd if the spray made his armour look as good as new.

Glancing up at the night sky, Revan hated the feeling after a battle. It was never completely satisfying. He didn’t enjoy killing. It left him hollow inside. It didn’t help that he was usually burying his dead soldiers as well. This time, thankfully, he wasn’t.

Thirty seconds after the Ghosts had stormed the beach, it looked as if a fight had never taken place there. Even the post that Deema had used to mark the location had disappeared. One of the Ghosts handed Revan a container with a soft greenish glow. Revan didn’t have to open it to know what it was. Slipping it into one of his belt pockets on his armour, he then nodded to each of the Ghosts before they disappeared into the waves with their black dome following them.

Revan was silent as he turned to the man shaking in front of him. There was still a strong smell of urine in the air, making it an unpleasant area to be in. The Ghosts had definitely not lost their edge. Darkly, Revan thought that he could probably mould this man's will as he saw fit. Sometimes, he saw why the Sith believed what they did. The power he now held over this man was intoxicating. Instead, he formed another distortion barrier around the two of them. Sometimes, your own soldiers would spread information you didn’t want them to.

“You’re going to tell your boss and everyone else that Kara Zor-El is under the protection of Lord Revan of the Galactic Confederation. Any attack on her will result in deadly consequences for them,”

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a pulse over the bond.

“Revan?” Kara asked from behind him.

“I’ll make sure they don’t come back. Please, let me live. They won’t mess with you, not after I tell them about this,” ‘Tony’ begged desperately, hands clasped in front of him. He was trying so hard to remain calm, but Revan could tell the events had got to the man.

Good, the man should regret ever coming here.

Revan wrestled with himself as he knew if Kara wasn’t with him, he would have considered another way in which to send a similar message. Which, in his belief, would have been a lot more powerful. 

Though she was with him. 

She was always with him now due to the bond.

“If I ever see you on the opposing side again, I will not hesitate to kill you. This I swear,” Revan promised in a chilling voice. 

The man let out a sigh in relief, but soon stopped after seeing the murderous look on Revan’s face. With a pressing of a few buttons he sent the command on his gauntlet to let the portal open, but frowned at the response he received. He looked up in surprise to see the portal roar into life again, and ‘Tony’ gave him one last relieved nod before walking through it. Revan watched him go, disappearing to wherever he came from. The portal then closed off and once again vanished into thin air. It left him with more questions as he reread the message back, seeing it state that his fleet engineers had failed to gain control of the ‘boom tube’. Revan didn’t like things happening for an unknown reason, especially on an island full of deities. It made his blood boil just thinking about it. They had no right to intervene in his business.

“Revan, who was that?” Kara questioned from behind him, bringing him out of his pondering.

“No one,” Revan replied, still looking where ‘Tony’ had left. A moment of silence passed as the only sound on the moonlit beach was the splashing of the waves.

“What did you do?” she demanded. Through the bond, he could feel her stress and anger.

“What I had to,” he said as he pulled his hood back. If he told her that he had killed for her, she would blame herself. It was better this way, for both of them.

“Look at me Revan!” 

Revan waited a few seconds, watching the waves lap at the peaceful beach, trying to control his frustration. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t fight, and he couldn’t lie, especially to her. Sometimes the force seemed cruel, like the gods themselves.

“Revan. Look at me.”

If he faced her, the questions she would ask would lead to change he wasn’t ready for. He had found over the last few days that he could talk to her about his past. Every other time, he ran from it, not provoking the spectres that laid in wait. But now when he talked to her… she just listened. No judgement, just a curious look in her eye as she learnt more about him. Scarily, he felt ready to actually talk about some of the darker things. Not all of them, but some of them, and that was a difference. Yet, he still feared her judgment and he hated himself that he cared what she thought. Would she think he was a bad person? That he had made the wrong choices?

“Revan?” Her angry voice tore him from his thoughts. He could picture her pinched eyebrows and the furious look on her face just from the tone of it.

“Go back to the quarters.”

“Revan, turn... around.” Kara reiterated, her voice brokering no argument. Revan’s rage boiled over at her stubbornness.

And so with one final breath, he whirled around to face her. What he saw caused adrenaline to rush back into his system and his mind went into overdrive.

Kara was standing there in a House of El outfit, with a shocked look on her pretty face, his knife sheathed on her hip. The only time that knife should ever be touching clothing like that was when it was piercing it to kill the Kryptonian underneath. “The bond… what did you do?” she said in disbelief, her blond hair looking pale in the moonlight.

“What are you doing wearing that?” Revan snapped, pointing to her chest.

Kara took a moment to realise what he was alluding to. “It was on my ship when I landed, Kal El sent me it in the package,” Kara said defensively.

“Do you know how many of my people died due to that cursed symbol? You told me you weren’t like other Kryptonians,” snarled Revan, thinking back to all the times he had seen one of House El’s soldiers kill his men, or one of their special weapons or ships wipe out an entire squad.

“I’m not,” Kara bit back.

“Then why are you wearing that?” he demanded.

“This is a memory of my past, my family, my home. House of El stands for Hope, and that’s what I want to represent. I thought you would understand that.” Kara sounded so young to his ears at that moment, grasping at the straws of her past life. She needed to know what her parents were, what they had done.

“That family tortured me for three months and... that House which butchered… my… PEOPLE. The only thing that emblem stands for is the blood it’s shed,” Revan thundered, electricity beginning to tingle in his hands. He couldn’t tell her what her parents did to her, not yet. To tell her that now would rip her apart. A clear head would be needed for that conversation and Revan knew he was in no fit state to have that discussion.

Kara glanced down to his hands before saying in a low voice, “What do you mean they tortured you?” 

Before he could reply however, another female voice tore through the silence.

“Both of you stand down. Revan, you are outside of your allowed area and must be escorted back to your residence,” Artemis ordered as she emerged from the path's entrance with a dozen armoured Amazons behind her, all armed and ready. 

Revan berated himself for not sensing their approach, but knew why he hadn’t. The focus of all his attention had been on Kara, and that was dangerous, to him and to her. And to their credit, the Amazons were quite stealthy for all the armour they were wearing.

Kara continued to glare murderously at him, ignoring Artemis. Through the bond, Revan saw how his words had affected her. Anger, betrayal and bewilderment sizzled through, serving only to increase both of their agitated states.

Though Revan was furious for his own reason.

_ ‘You told them?’ _Revan asked, the pain of betrayal evident in his voice even to himself. He wanted to think he didn’t care about her telling the Amazons, but he hated when those he trusted let him down. It had been obvious to him that the Amazons had entrusted his care to Kara, though he hadn’t thought she would have run straight to them at the first hurdle. No, he didn’t... couldn't trust her, she was a Kryptonian. He had to remember that. She was going to backstab him sooner or later. It was only a matter of time...

_ ‘You didn’t leave me a choice. I had no idea what you were going to do. You could have been slaughtering the entire city!’ _Kara replied hotly, staring defiantly at him.

Revan fumed at her, hating how what she said made some sense. He wanted to get off this island and away from her. Who was she to question him? His head felt so messed up when he was around her.

_ ‘You were the one who said to always think the worst, so I did,’ _Kara added, still glaring at him.

In a roar of frustration, he let loose his stored up force energy, sending a shockwave across the beach. It zoomed across the beach kicking up sand as it went, racing away from him and the others, before finally losing its energy and disappearing.

Grudgingly, he took a deep breath and he relaxed his posture. With a reluctant nod to Artemis, he marched past Kara not looking at her. The awaiting Amazons eyed him warily as he made his way to the path which he had descended not so long ago, not looking forward to the conversation he would doubtless be facing when he reached his quarters.

**   
  
**

**Kara**

Anger, betrayal and bewilderment. That was what Kara felt when she had confronted him on the beach. Neither of them had talked on their way back, but she waited until they were alone before she challenged him. His face was a storm on the march back, only glaring at whatever was in front of him as he pressed ever onwards. She could feel that he felt betrayed through the bond, but she didn’t care as he had left her with no choice.

After alerting the Amazons, Kara had managed to track Revan through the bond, though it took a lot of concentration to do so. Whatever he had done had made it impossible to use any sense to detect his whereabouts. She wasn’t quite sure how she had done it, but if she focused just on Revan’s bond, then she could feel a warmth. The closer she got, the warmer it got. It turned out he hadn’t gone too far, just a beach a short distance from the city.

Finally, when she had reached the top of the path, she had heard a short, distorted scream. Artemis, who was in charge of the Amazons sent to find and retrieve Revan, had told her to wait and to scout out the area. Kara had been reluctant and after the scream, charged off on her own.

While she sped ahead down the path, she used Revan’s teachings as she went. She was wary of her surroundings and made sure to be careful as she picked her way through the undergrowth. After a minute or so steadily zipping through the undergrowth, she had found Revan on the beach. 

When they arrived back at the quarters, Artemis had strongly suggested to her that she should have guards posted outside the building, just in case. Kara rejected doing it though, as she knew Revan would be resistant to any conversation with them there. In the end, Artemis relented, saying that Kara had come to get them and so she could be trusted, though she did warn her that the Queen would be wanting to speak with them both tomorrow. A feeling of trepidation spread through her. If the Queen wanted to see them, she must have known about Revan. Artemis, to her surprise, wished her luck as she left. It seemed such a change from the woman that only a month earlier had been her tormentor. 

Preparing herself, she took a moment under the moonlit sky as she watched the Amazons march away. Tiredness and fatigue were gnawing at her, so her patience was already wearing thin. The good thing was that so was Revan’s, which she hoped meant that he wouldn’t resist talking to her. The way he had looked on the beach, before he had turned around, the bond had shown nearly complete darkness. She didn’t understand why. But she knew something had definitely happened on that beach. 

Running a hand through her long blond hair, she stepped through the entrance to be met by a barely lit empty room. For a slight moment she panicked, wondering if he had disappeared again. Her suspicions were somewhat quelled when the shower switched on and his black armour caught her attention, standing guard in its corner of the room. It still ate at her that he may have pulled the same trick again and left his armour behind This time however, she was tempted to use her X-Ray vision to see if he was actually there. Revan, even when he wasn't trying to hide, was difficult to locate. Instead, she moved over to the bathroom door and settled for asking him over the bond.

_ ‘Revan, you in there?’ _ she asked abruptly.

Kara heard a huff come from the bathroom, before a rather annoyed voice fired back, “Yes,” causing her to breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was Revan running off again, as she didn't think the Amazons would be as lenient a second time. 

Moving away from the bathroom, she slumped down onto her bed and stayed there as she waited for Revan to finish. Aggravatingly for Kara, it seemed to her that Revan decided to take his time, no doubt trying to avoid the forthcoming conversation. She knew he was angry, but so was she. The last couple of days had been… well enjoyable. And then Revan had just vanished without saying a word and expected her to leave the whole situation alone. There was no way in which Revan would drop it, she knew him, so neither would she. It pained her as well that Revan had used the package as a distraction to allow him to escape. His words about thinking the worst of people came back to her then and reinforced her determination to confront him. 

Eventually tired of waiting, Kara thought of some ways to make him come out of the bathroom. She could just go barging in there, but the awkwardness of it would just stall the entire conversation. Revan would get even angrier and he might just stop talking to her completely. Alternatively, she knew that Revan was quite territorial about his equipment. She understood why that was so, but she could use that to her advantage. There was no way Revan wouldn't be keeping an eye on the room she was in.

Getting up loudly to assure his attention would be on her, she leisurely made her way over to his armour. Inspecting it she found that it was well worn, with a few scratches in places. The armour was definitely used to intimidate as well, with its sharp angles and imposing design. With the cloak underneath it, it looked like Revan was a spectre of darkness when he wore it. 

Avoiding looking back at the bathroom, Kara tried to make sure she didn't give anything away over the bond about her deceit. Scanning over the armour again, she noticed that the left gauntlet had some kind of computer in it. While this did attract her, something in one of the armour’s belt pockets peaked her interest. She was sure she hadn’t seen it like that before. It could be linked to the beach she thought curiously, though she couldn’t see what was in it due to a material in the fabric. Not hearing any movement from the bathroom, she curiously reached out to see what was inside.

The door to the bathroom slammed open and an angry voice asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Bingo.

Kara kept her hand, hovering just above the pocket for a second, trying not to let the triumph shine over the bond.

“I asked you a question,” the voice said, now right behind her. Not being able to hide the smirk on her face, Kara turned around. Consequently, she was not expecting to be greeted with a near naked Revan, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She took in the broad shoulders and muscles that she had seen before. His pale skin still had a dusting of water from the shower on him. His black hair hung messily around his face, still damp. What she hadn’t seen before was the litany of scars that was carved all over his body. Some were small, like animal bites, while others seemed to stretch on forever. Her jaw dropped as she stood staring at what was bared to her. 

She finally snapped out of it when he stepped past her and separated her from his armour. Kara, after she realised her eyes were wandering too far south, averted her eyes to the window, trying to find something interesting over there. She could feel the heat rising to her face as she quickly moved over to it.

“Why are you not wearing any clothes?” Kara grumbled out into the open air of the window.

“Are you serious? Why were you going through my things?” Revan replied incredulously, his fists clenched at his sides. 

“You were in there for thirty minutes. I thought you were avoiding me.” 

“That doesn't give you the right to go through MY things,” Revan argued, checking his armour over for any signs of her interference. Through the bond she could tell he was fuming. Maybe her plan hadn’t been the best idea after all. "If I wanted to be manipulated, I would just talk to Cypher. He is better at it than you will ever be. Just ask if you want something,” Revan said bitterly. 

It was Kara’s turn to scoff as she turned to face him, staring directly into his eyes. 

“Ask? If I talk to you the most I get is a sentence or two out of you. Even when you’re talking about your past, you dont allow me to ask anything, you talk at me. You just talk, and then go to sleep. You are the least talkative person I’ve ever met.”

“Talking has never been one of my strong points, I know that. And I’m sorry that I don’t immediately trust you, a Kryptonian, who I spent years fighting. Trust is not something I give easily. I have been betrayed more times than I can count, by people who I didn’t trust and those that I did,” Revan stated resentfully. 

Kara stood there in silence, contemplating what he had said. The times when he was young had sounded happy, if a bit restrictive, due to the Jedi order he had been brought up in. But Revan was talking now, and she knew she had to try and take advantage of it.

“What happened on the…?” Kara started.

“No. I’m going to finish my shower. Then, and only then, will I consider talking about it,” Revan finished, storming off into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Kara sighed out of her nose as she watched him shut the door, before sitting down at the desk, turning the table and putting her head in her hands. She was so tired. Her eyes were stinging and her body was begging for at least some rest. But she wouldn’t give up now. She needed to know what happened on the beach.

A couple of minutes later, Revan exited the bathroom, causing Kara to lift her head from the table. He only had his underwear on with his undersuit in one of his hands and his knives in their sheaths gathered in the other. Kara arched a blond eyebrow in a silent question. Revan strode past her, not making a sound as he slung the undersuit over his armour and hung the sheaths over that. Kara wondered about the missing knife that she had. Could Revan not just replace it easily? The knives did look and feel unique, and she knew they were special from what he had told the Queen on the beach. Still, why hadn’t he asked her for it back, if it was so special?

“I always check and clean them after using them,” Revan explained, seeing her look.

“Why?”

“It's important that equipment is properly maintained. I also find it calming,” Revan added, taking his robe from underneath his armour, wrapping it around himself. 

Kara nodded in understanding, before she sat back in the chair and stared at him. They both watched each other carefully for a couple of seconds, both seeing if the other was going to talk first. 

“What happened on that beach, Revan?” Kara began, breaking the silence.

“It’s better if you don’t know,” he replied, yet he sat down across from her. Kara kept her eyes trained on him this time, determined to get answers. She tried a different tactic this time.

“The Queen wants to speak with both of us tomorrow.” She let that hang in the air to see what he would say. 

He just simply shrugged like he didn’t care, watching her with those dark eyes. 

“We need to be on the same page if the Queen questions us. It would look suspicious if I didn’t know what you were doing.” Kara tried again.

“Why, because she has entrusted you to watch over me?” Revan said, catching her off guard. Her face must have shown her surprise, as Revan cocked his head to its side, a small smile on his face.

“I might not be as smart as you or Cypher, but why else would the Amazons leave me unguarded,” he stated, his hands coming to rest on the table in front of him. “If the worst happens, this way you won’t be complicit. They can’t punish you for something you didn’t know about,” he finished, looking dead serious. His voice sounded so sure, so steady. She wanted to believe him.

But she needed to know. 

“Revan, I heard what the man said. What happened to the others?” she pressed.

Revan’s face turned sour at her question and he shook his head in disapproval. “I’ve told you all you need to know,” he said, getting up.

“You killed them, didn’t you?” Kara guessed, hoping that she would get a reaction from him.

Which she did.

He froze behind the chair. Through the bond she could feel his frustration and unsuredness. But his reaction was all the confirmation she needed.

“Why?” she said in horror. A cold feeling slivered its way into her, gripping her insides. It shocked her that he could kill so easily and so freely. After all the time she spent with him, Kara still felt she didn’t know who he really was. Even though he couldn’t lie to her, she still felt like he let her down. No, he had betrayed her. Betrayed the trust that she had put in him. 

There was so much darkness within him, especially on the beach. Yet, she refused to believe he was completely evil. Even then, that stifled light still tried to break free. There was good in him, she had to believe that.

“I did what…” he tried to explain.

“Cut the crap, Revan. I’m too tired to run around in circles and so are you. So sit down and answer the question,” Kara growled with such ferocity that she surprised herself. Revan looked shocked, his mouth slightly agape at her assertiveness. For a moment he looked like he was going to argue, but he suddenly collapsed into the chair in front of her, looking defeated. While he had looked regretful and sad before, he never looked empty and lost. She realised that he was hollow. 

Revan looked vulnerable. His walls were completely down.

It didn’t last for long however, because it soon switched to anger. It hit her like a wave over the bond. It’s something she had noticed within him. Every time he showed a moment of weakness, he tried to cover it up with anger, like a self defence mechanism. Only this time, she was just as angry herself. 

“Tell me. What would happen if some scum threatened someone who you cared about? If someone threatened Kal El, and unless you dealt with them in that moment, then they would come back another time, when you might not be there? What would the righteous Kara Zor-El do?” Revan sneered, his hands clenched out in front of him.

“I wouldn’t kill them and neither would Kal,” Kara argued.

“No? You would what, hand them over to the Amazons so they are killed by them instead? Hand them over to the Justice League so they can slap their wrists and then escape and continue as they had done before, as Kal El does?”

“Everyone deserves a chance.”

“Just one?”

“Killing people doesn’t solve everyone’s problems.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But if it protects my people and the people I care about, then that is what I must do.”

“Who were they after?”

Revan sat and stared at her, his brow twitching. Both of them were angry and not holding back now. Yet, he was still reluctant to share this information, so Kara pressed on.

“The way I see it, you're just a scared little boy who has lost his friends in a war in which he dragged them into. You used them, to what? Protect your galaxy by invading ours? But now, you’re stuck with no wars, no enemies and no friends. Even the people around you now, they aren’t important to you. Rather than live with that, you hide behind a veneer of a monster.” Kara shouted, standing up and rounding the table to get his face. “You're a cowardly killer who is too scared to care because you got your friends killed,” Kara finished, watching those dark eyes that burned with a startling intensity.

“You dare lecture me about loss?” he said, standing abruptly, leaning so they were inches apart. The bond burned like a wildfire of anger on both sides, consuming their every thought and feeling. “Everyday you sit here grieving for what you had, crying over a memory of life that is now gone. Do you think I can’t sense it? Every time you look at me you see it, that last day. You let it control you because you are too scared to let go.”

Kara was stunned momentarily, feeling anger and rage swirl within her. Revan took the chance to continue his verbal assault.

“I entered that war because your people were blowing up planets with countless people on. That war, it changed us all, showed us that the universe isn't black and white, good vs evil. Have you ever had to hold a soldier's hand as he cries for his mother on a battlefield while a medic is trying to pull shrapnel out of his stomach? Have you ever had to watch a friend, who had been by your side when you needed him the most, be killed right in front of by a smirking Kryptonian. Have you ever had to tell their loved ones that they are dead, and they died because you were too weak.” 

Revan’s right hand shot out, their faces inches apart, and in a second something flew into it. Kara looked where it had come from to find the pocket she had so nearly opened earlier, unfastened.

He threw a small black container on to the table to his right.

It had a putrid greenish glow.

“Open it,” he snarled, challenging her.

She knew just from the sight of it what it was. 

Green Kryptonite. 

She had read about it on Krypton.

Kal had also warned her about this. 

A yellow sun Kryptonian’s biggest weakness.

“I… No,” 

Revan just stepped back from her and crossed his arms waiting for her to decide what to do.

Hesitantly, Kara picked up the small container. She felt ill just touching it. The feel of it was heavy and the roughness of the box chafed against her hand. It felt wrong, as if it was poisoning the very air around it.

Just as she decided to open it, it flew out her hand into Revan’s outstretched palm. Revan looked at the box and then to her and shook his head, anger and a haunted look etched onto his face.

“I’ve seen what it does,” he said ominously with disgust. Turning around, he returned the offending item back into the belt pocket of his armour. 

Kara stayed silent as it dawned on her that the men Revan had killed were hunting her. He had killed to protect her.

“Who were they?” Kara asked.

“Pirates, gangsters… scum. I’ve seen their type before.”

Kara felt hate flaring up through the bond as Revan spoke. She didn’t know whether to feel pleased that he had dealt with them, or sick that she was the reason those men were dead.

“Don’t. Don’t do that,” he said walking over to her. She stepped back a step as he approached, causing him to stop. “Those men are not dead because of you. They made their choices and I made mine. What I did, I did to protect you. Deema always said I cared too much.” 

“You care too much by killing? Honestly I’m not surprised at that advice from him. And you trust him, the man who lies and manipulates for a living?” she mocked, holding her ground.

“That man has been by my side through the war, the torture and the loss. I owe him a debt I can never repay.”

“He is using you to protect himself, can’t you see that?”

“I don't care. Without him I would be dead and so would you,” he said looking at the floor. 

Kara stood in stunned silence. Surely Deema would have killed her given the opportunity, why would he save her life? What could he gain from it?

“You’re lying,” she tried to say, but over the bond she knew it was true. 

“He was the one who convinced me to let your and Kal El’s ships through our fleet. So maybe, just maybe, our people could coexist peacefully. Is that a wholly bad person?” Revan asked her, his voice passionate in the defence of his friend.

Kara realised then that the two acted like opposites, but they had a deeper bond than first appeared. It was plain to her now that Revan had a deeplying trust in Deema while she was more sceptical about Deema’s loyalty to Revan. 

Silence followed that, and Revan sat back down at the desk, his head in his hands whilst Kara stood staring at him from the wall, before slowly walking over to take the chair opposite him. Inside her, a question kept ringing in her mind. What member of her family had done something to Revan or Cypher? Whoever it was had left a festering wound, especially in Revan.

“Out of all the people in the universe, why did my mother pick you to help us?” Kara asked softly, the anger now fizzled out in her. A hollow feeling filled her. She was tired of arguing and just wanted some answers, and then some sleep. Across from her, Revan looked how she felt. Bloodshot eyes and an exhausted look haunted his face.

“Because she knew me,” Revan said simply, avoiding eye contact.

“How would my mother know…” Kara reeled in realisation then. Her own mother. It made terrible sense. She loved her family, but she would say that her duty was always to Krypton. Kara had known she was a high ranking scientist in Kryptonian society, though with all the disappearances, she knew that she was up to more than she said. Her mother had mentioned the Rao Research Station a couple of times in passing, which had always pulled a sour face from her father due to it being a rather controversial institute. But torture? Her mother?

“What did she do to you?” Kara whispered, peering into his eyes, trying to see if there was any deceit in them.

He looked up sharply, his breathing becoming rapid, “I can’t go back there Kara. You wanted to know what scares me; losing what I am again, that scares me. They turned me into a monster. I can’t do that again. Please,” he begged, hands shaking in front of him. He looked terrified, like she had never seen before. 

She honestly did not know what to do. Think Kara, think, she told herself. Part of her felt the terror that Revan felt over the bond and wanted to go and hide, to never broach this topic again. She knew she couldn't do it, she had to know what her mother had done. 

What would Kal El do? 

He would help Revan face his fears.

Slowly, she came round the table and gently, she reached out to take his hand. “I’m here Revan, you're not going to lose yourself again,” she promised, trying to send as much warmth and honesty over the bond as possible. It seemed to work for a moment, his body relaxed and the bond quietened. 

Suddenly, he snatched his hand from her grasp, his eyes glinting animalistically. Through the bond, she could feel his anger, hate and rage boil over. He stood and forced her back.

“You want to know what she did? She violated my entire being. You’ve seen the scars, the ones that look like little animal bites. Those are from the tubes she stuck in me, so she could experiment on me with different drugs. She let guards take turns beating the ‘mighty Revan’ to near death day in, day out. Even then, that wasn’t enough. Slowly, she began to strip the force away from me, until one day I awoke and it was gone. I was hollow, like a shell. The next day, I felt lost in an ocean with the amount of force that flowed within me, like I was constantly drowning,” Revan spat as he got nearer.

Kara shivered as he stalked closer and closer to her, eyes boring into her but also looking back to a different time as well. She could feel him reliving the memory over the bond. The wall stopped her retreating any more, and this time, Revan kept coming. He continued closing the distance until he slammed his hands against the wall either side of her, their faces inches apart. She stood straight, staring him into his eyes to show that she wasn’t afraid.

“What I never knew was that Alura was the one behind all the experiments and torture. She had led me to believe that she was just someone who worked there, and that she had taken pity on me and shown me kindness that no one else even shown a crumb of. During one experiment, they pushed me too far. They killed me. My heart stopped beating, and then I had peace,” Revan said disillussionaly, a blank look on his face. Kara let him continue, both horrified and shocked at what she was hearing.

“It was beautiful for a fleeting moment, I felt nothing. No pain, no suffering. But then, in my dying breaths, I thought of those I would leave behind, of those who had died for me and for the reason I got captured. I let it all out. All the pain, hate, suffering, fear and rage into a thought bomb. Everyone apart from three people died on the station that day, from the visiting Kryptonian statesmen, to the janitor. From the yellow sun Kryptonian warden to the new recruit who had just been stationed there a day before. Even most of my own men who were captured and being held on the station didn’t survive.”

“Your mother ripped me apart piece by piece for science like I was some animal. In the end she made me a monster, one that destroyed the very thing she fought so hard to preserve,” he rasped, so many emotions flashed in his eyes. He seemed to be in a trance as his eyes, which she couldn’t tell where his irises began and the pupil’s ended, gazed into hers.

Kara felt that same sick feeling in her stomach.

A spark flickered over the bond, causing Revan’s eyes to light up in a way she had never seen before.

“Let me show you,” he said, his right hand rising to hover in the small space between the two or them.

Kara had never felt so terrified in her life. She knew he couldn’t lie to her, but she had no idea how he could share a memory. Was this some kind of trick to warp her mind to his point of view?

“How?”

“Sometimes, if the bond is deep enough, those that are connected can share memories and dreams.” he answered truthfully.

Kara still was not sure about this. Over the bond she felt nothing but honesty from Revan, and when she looked in his eyes all she saw was a dark determination. Furthermore her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to see what he had to show her, especially if it was about her mother. Also, the chance to see her mother again, even in a dream, was too good to pass up.

“I’m not going to mess with your head if that’s what you’re worried about. I just… I want to show you what happened to me. I want you to understand,” he said earnestly, seeing her hesitation. 

Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. She nodded, ever so slightly, but that’s all that Revan needed. Gently, he rested his right hand on her temple, the touch sending shockwaves through her body. He closed his eyes, and suddenly her vision went black.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a small, stark white room. Straightaway the room felt wrong. There were lines on the walls and the floor which she recognised as energy dischargers, due her limited time in the Science Guild.

In the centre of the room was a kind of glowing table with a body laid prone on it. If she had to guess, it looked like the table was made from sunstone crystals.

Moving over to the body, she saw it was a younger looking Revan with his eyes closed. All he had on were some undergarments, the rest of his body exposed. 

And what Kara saw made her nearly vomit. 

Revan’s body was covered in long cuts and incisions, each with their own line of blood silently trickling from them onto the table. Kara thought he had looked bad after the fight with Artemis, but this was something else. His entire body either had awful bruising or a fresh cuts gracing it. Some of the cuts had different coloured liquid seeping from them. His face was swollen, with more dried blood coating his face. If it hadn’t been for the slow, haggard breaths she could hear him painfully take, then she would have assumed it was a corpse laid out in front of her. Kara came to a sickening realisation that the sun stones were the only thing keeping Revan alive. 

Two of the panels on the wall opened inwards suddenly, causing Kara to back away from the table. A man wearing a Kryptonian guard uniform walked in with an electric prod in one hand. A yellow sun on his chest showed him to be a yellow sun Kryptonian. 

Following him was a person she recognised instantly. She looked nearly the same as when she had returned home, though there wasn’t the haunted look in her eyes. Dressed in scientific garb and with an electric notepad in hand, the woman walked in with an air of authority and command.

The ID on her chest labelled her Alura.

Her mother.

She looked so real.

Kara ran over to her but as she went to hug her mother, her body just passed through. A sob escaped her as her mother stood over Revan, jotting down notes. Revan’s eyes briefly opened, and her mother smiled softly at him, though it didn’t reach her eyes. Kara could easily tell that the smile was fabricated. The only true emotions Kara saw in her eyes was pity, and something else. She had never seen her mother look like that before, a look of hungry ambition. 

Revan’s eyes drifted shut again, unaware of her mother’s falsehoods and her mother quietly walked over to the guard. 

“Try to keep him alive for one more week. This will all be for nothing if he dies now,” her mother hissed at the guard.

“He needs to pay for all of us he has killed,” replied the guard, his knuckles tightening around the baton.

“And he will, but he is the key to being able to stop all force users for good. Do you want to be the one to tell the Council that we failed.”

“No, but you’re going to kill him tomorrow in that twisted experiment of yours. At least let him die a warrior. He has earnt that much, even if I despise him.”

“This is our last chance to win this war, and I will not fail Krypton.” Her mother then moved to leave, but before she could, the guard spoke again.

“The net’s closing in,” the guard said mysteriously.

“He won’t find us,” reassured her mother.

“Jon-Kis has vanished, Ran-Loz is running for his life and Jaz-Tal was found dead earlier today.”

“They played their parts.”

“And now they're dead. He has burned half the galaxy already. You really think he won’t find us?”

“It will be too late when he does. There is no way he could infiltrate this facility without the right codes, this is the most secure station in the entire galaxy.”

“All it takes is one person to break and this whole operation is over.”

“And in your job as chief warden, you are to ensure that doesn’t happen. Tomorrow is when the fate of Krypton is decided. We must ensure nothing gets in the way of that. Now do your job, and test his pain levels again, something of an anomaly appeared last time,” she lectured harshly.

With a resigned nod, the man stepped forward and began hitting Revan’s lifeless form again and again, causing new bruises and cuts to blemish the already damaged pale skin. Revan didn’t even respond, his body shaking with the impacts of the blow. The room was filled with the smacks of the metal baton hitting his skin.

Kara stood there motionless, looking at her mother who never flinched each time the baton came down, sick to her stomach. She had never known her mother to be cruel, or malicious. But the woman standing before her was both that and more. Never before had she looked at her mother and seen such a monster. 

She tried to yell for them to stop, but she had no voice. The harder she tried, the blurrier the image got, until right in front of her was the man on the table, not with the cuts and bruises, but the scars instead. 

They stared at each other then, both so lost and confused. Kara felt the area around her eyes were damp and her throat dry as her entire body felt numb. The sick feeling in her stomach was overwhelming, causing the bile to rise in her gullet. How could her mother have done this?

Revan seemed to snap out of the trance he was in, before looking at his hands in disgust. He looked at her, with a fearful look.

“What… I’m… I’m sorry,” he stuttered, looking so broken and lost. Kara barely registered what he was saying. “That wasn’t the memory I was trying to show.” He backed away slowly, like a scared animal. “I’m going to sleep on the balcony tonight. I can’t…” Words seemed to evade him and he clenched his fists at his side. Though Kara sensed no anger in him, just frustration and regret. Just as he turned to walk on to the balcony, Kara snapped herself to attention, calling his name quietly. Revan turned to face her, though not looking her in the eye. 

“Why did you even come here?”

“All I’ve felt since Krypton is suffering, hate and pain. I wanted to feel something good again. The force gave me a vision and led me here, and I don’t know why. All I’ve found is the memory of my failings and you,” he said bitterly before disappearing onto the balcony, leaving Kara alone in the dark and silent room. 

**   
  
  
  
  
**


	11. New Foes, Old Friends

**Revan**

**  
  
**

Darkness.

No dreams, just darkness once again.

Revan awoke with a start after he felt someone grab his shoulder. Looking up, he panicked at seeing the blue and red Kryptonian uniform in front of him. Images flashed in his mind's eye of the battles he had fought, a few correlating with the blue and red. He struggled for a moment, everything around spinning. How were they here? Why now?

However, he swiftly recognised the clear blue eyes and bright blonde hair of Kara standing over him. She stood with a blank look on her face, showing not one hint of emotion. His breathing began to even out.

“The Amazons are here,” informed Kara, who then turned on her heel and walked back into the room. Through the bond Kara was extremely quiet. Usually, there was a simmering of energy, yet now there was nothing. He thought of the conversation they had had the night before and rubbed his head. 

That hadn’t gone well, but now was not the time to dwell on such things. He had some questions for the monarch of the island, and he wanted answers. He thought of his people waiting for him on his ship and the people back in his own galaxy waiting for him. There were so many people he had to speak to, to repair the damage his departure had caused. This island was getting to him and he knew it. Well, the island and the residents, though his troubles were with one resident in particular.

Revan laid there for a moment before shaking the sleepiness from his system. The sun was a fair distance in the sky, meaning that he had slept longer than he had intended to. That meant he’d have to miss his training routine this morning, which frustrated him. Oddly enough though, he felt well rested, having slept for longer than he usually did. 

Pulling himself up, he quickly made his way to the bathroom. As he went, he sensed that Kara was with the Amazons outside, talking. He hurriedly went about his business before stepping out of the bathroom washed, refreshed and with clean clothes. With his undersuit, robe and his combat boots on, he debated on whether to take his knives or not. In the end he decided against it, thinking that he was probably in enough trouble as it was, without provoking the Amazons.

“You took your time,” snarked Artemis as he stepped out of his quarters, her face looking bored.

“Do I have to remind you what happened the last time you annoyed me?”

Artemis bristled, but rolled her eyes in response, a reaction that Revan hadn’t been expecting. 

“Typical man. You’re not weak like most of your gender, but just as arrogant. Come, the Queen awaits the both of you.”

**  
  
**

**The Royal Palace**

****  
  


They walked into the throne room of the palace, which was lit up in the morning sun, flanked by Amazonian guards. Around him, there was a tension in the air, as there was in the force. It wasn’t an imminent threat, but it was foreboding nevertheless. It was etched into the faces of the Amazons as well, each wearing an extra line of concern on their face. It seems the Queen may have had a legitimate reason to suspend their meeting after all. 

Speaking of which, Queen Hippolyta sat on the throne looking as regal and authoritative as ever. Though he still saw stress behind her queenly mask. He had learned to see it in the war, when his generals and subordinates gave their reports. Sometimes they would try to hide their concern or stress if what they were doing was not going to plan which, if Revan read them correctly like he usually did, allowed him to change his plans or make actions to remedy the problem.

There were six guards on either side of the hall, with another four behind him. Kara was standing to his left, looking slightly nervous, which he also felt prickle over the bond. He was concerned about her state of mind after their conversation last night. She had been unusually quiet. It didn’t surprise him, what he had shown her had shocked him just as much as it had shocked her. He was grateful that the vision hadn’t been the day after that incident. Revan had no intention of ever revisiting that day, let alone subjecting someone else to its trauma.

Looking up to the throne, Artemis stood to the side of the Queen, looking down on Revan with a hint of distaste. While the rest of the room regarded Revan with suspicion, the Queen's eyes remained neutral.

“Revan and Kara Zor-El, do you know why you have been brought before me today?” the Queen began.

“Because my meeting with you yesterday was postponed,” Revan said flatly. He doubted that however, considering the escort and the guards standing in the room with him now.

“If you’re not going to take this conversation seriously Revan, then you can leave this island right now. I have too many things to worry about without you adding to them,” the Queen said in a deadly serious tone, glaring at him.

Revan did not shrink from her gaze, though he knew that he would have to word his sentences carefully. Getting thrown off this island now would not do. He still had to figure out why the force had brought him here, to this god-infested island and backwater world.

“What happened last night?” the Queen asked.

Before Revan could answer, Kara answered instead. He watched her as she spoke, wondering what she thought she was doing.

“Revan killed a small group of pirates that arrived on the beach through a teleportation device. I arrived on the beach as he let one escape, your grace,” Kara said firmly, not looking in his direction.

The Queen looked thoughtful as Kara spoke, analysing her. When she finished, she turned to Revan, and he met her look evenly.

“Is this true?” 

He was about to deny it, just to see what the Queen knew. Deema had always taught him to try and find out what the other party knew. Yet, a voice jumped in his head before he could.

_ ‘Tell them the truth,’ _Kara demanded in his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn to glare at him, making him have the attention of the entire room. He didn’t understand why, but Kara’s gaze made him feel uncomfortable. It felt like a lot more people were watching him than there really was. He had stood in front of the entire Galactic Confederation Government when he was seventeen and while he had been nervous, he had never felt this unsure before. 

_ ‘Trust me,’ _ Kara’s voice said again. Revan had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Trust her? She went running to the Amazons as soon as he had disappeared, though with her reasoning, that had made sense. And… And she was Kryptonian. She would betray him sooner rather than later anyway. 

And yet, she listened to him and had also seen that awful vision that he had not intended to show. He didn’t feel hate or dislike from her towards him. When she had taken his hand, it had been so long since he had felt the touch of someone he was not fighting. He had left himself open once and he had nearly lost everything. In an effort to stop that from ever happening again, he had promised himself he would not allow such distractions to ever sway him. For that reason he had tried to push her away. 

Yet still, he only ended up telling her things that he wanted to hide.

“Yes,” Revan spat, going along with what Kara wanted. 

The Queen nodded, confirming what she had heard. Revan didn’t have to look at Kara to feel the pride flicker over the bond. 

And so the questions continued about the beach, and he answered them truthfully. He told them that they were part of a group called ‘Intergang’ to which none in the room showed any sign of recognition. He made the fight sound as boring as possible, knowing that most fights were. Warriors surrounded him, and they probably knew a fake battle when they heard one. Simpler the better. He left out the Ghosts, knowing there was no way the Queen could know about them.

“Did you find out why they were here?” the Queen asked, the session starting to come to a close. He had been here half an hour answering her questions and he was starting to tire of the whole thing. 

The Queen, while not openly saying she already knew what had happened, seemed to believe everything he said. He was not challenged once, which aroused his suspicions even more.

Revan was tempted to try and lie to see if the Queen would call him out on it. He could say it was Deema’s fault and leave Kara completely out of it. One of Demma’s deals went bad and the aggrieved party turned up looking for him. Deema wouldn’t care, they both used each other as scapegoats when they needed to. He just needed to see what this farce was for.

Again, thwarting his plans, Kara jumped in.

“They were hunting me, Your Grace.”

Revan failed to hide his displeasure as a sharp exhale of air escaped.

“And what proof do you have of this?” said the Queen, frowning at Kara.

Kara nodded at Artemis, causing Revan to scowl as the Amazonian walked up to her Queen before pulling a black box out of a pocket of her armour. Revan quickly realised what it was, and seethed. 

_ ‘I never took you for a thief,’ _Revan said over the bond.

_ ‘You did what you had to, and now I’m doing what I have to.’ _

Revan huffed audibly, causing a few of the guards to eye him warily. There was no way the Amazons would execute him. They had seen him live peacefully among them for two weeks and one day. He doubted they would ever forget the arena fight, and even then there was still the capital ship hanging above their island within firing range. Plus his forces on that ship amounted to a small army.

He didn’t know how or why Meetra had kept a ship for him waiting, but thanked the force for it.

The Queen studied the box before opening it. A green glow quickly lit up her face, and after a few seconds, snapped it shut once again. Even though the box was a good few metres away, he felt pain flare over the bond from Kara. Annoyed at the Queen’s carelessness, he transferred some of his strength through the bond. Kara shot him a strange look, but didn’t say anything. 

The Queen eventually handed the box back to Artemis, who in turn, handed it back to Kara. To his surprise, she offered it to Revan. He regarded the box and her with a questioning look. 

_ ‘The box, it’s poisonous to me. I can’t hold it. You have dealt with this kind of stuff before,’ _Kara said sagely, her face neutral. 

Captain Dec was always the one who oversaw the green kryptonite projects. While Revan had an interest in its ability to cripple Kryptonians, he had always believed in fighting his opponent at full strength. Though if there were lives at stake or there was a deadline on an objective then he wouldn’t hesitate to exploit their fatal weakness.

_ ‘You don’t have…’ _

_ ‘The Amazons trust me. If I show my trust in you, they’ll have no choice but to trust you as well.’ _

While her statement was painfully naive, he could see where she was coming from. Though Revan, being a leader himself, knew that this action alone wouldn’t be enough to make the Amazons trust him again. Noticing everyone was staring, Revan hurriedly took the box, stashing it in his robe.

“And what of the man you spared? Trespassing on this island is a promise of death, unless stated otherwise,” 

Revan contemplated what he would say, though his anger was growing. This to him reeked of a performance. However, who it was for, he did not know. Annoyingly, the conclusion he came to was that the truth so far had led to positive outcomes, and so once again, he stated it.

“I sent a message, one which would not be mistaken,”

“Which was?” the Queen said, nodding as if what he was stating was correct.

That caused Revan to finally snap.

“You know what it was. You’ve known about everything else,” snarled Revan, his fists clenched at his side.

_ ‘Revan,’ _Kara warned him over the bond.

He ignored her, instead he continued. “Was this just another test, set by you or your cursed gods?”

The Queen arose from the throne then, a storm on her face. Revan had never seen her face so full of emotion, it even caused him to hesitate a little. The rage on it would have made a Sith proud. Around him he felt the guards tense. Let them be angry at him for telling them the truth, he thought.

“You dare say that sacrilege here?” Artemis said loudly.

“Why should I play along to another being's tune when they have not even revealed themselves to me. They act like cowards,”

“They work in ways above your limited thinking,” the Queen replied.

“They only work in ways which benefit them. They are parasites,”

“You stand here because of them, Revan. Never forget that,” the Queen admonished. She paused, looking around at the other Amazons. Displeasure was etched on her face, though she had calmed down since she had first risen from her seat. Revan also sensed the anger from the guards, all directed at him. He didn’t care as he had had enough of these pointless games.

“I can't have you speak ill of the Goddesses and Gods in their own home. You act like a typical male, ignorant in your own knowledge and scared to acknowledge anything outside of that narrow scope. I had thought you different Revan, but you disappoint me,” Hippolyta said with what seemed like genuine sadness. A leader wears what emotion his or her people need to see. He really wished Wilson was still with him. It was yet another lesson taught by someone who was lost to him. Thinking of Wilson caused Revan to lose track of the conversation, only tuning back in when the Queen stated,

“... be punished by the ancient Amazonian law.”

Revan stood there stunned, not actually fathoming what was happening. The Queen’s face held no sign of a jest or joke. While he had comprehended an invasion of the island, he had not thought it necessary after his acceptance into their society. 

“Your Grace, he has lived here peacefully for two weeks waiting for this very meeting. Even when he didn’t need to or wasn’t asked to, he defended this island. Lives might have been lost without his involvement. Further, he spoke out of frustration, not in any disrespect for the Amazons of your Deities. Give him a chance to apologise, and I’m sure he will,” Kara said with a clear voice. While he was impressed at her standing in front of these people and defending him, why was she defending him? He thought after yesterday’s emotional conversation that she would be rid of him the first chance she got.

“Will he?” Artemis asked disbelievingly as she looked at the frozen form of Revan.

_ ‘She gave you a way out, take it,’ _she demanded hotly.

_ ‘What are you going on about? I am quite capable of handling this on my…’ _Revan said, glaring at her.

_ ‘Oh, and that’s going so well at the moment,’ _Kara finished, with an unimpressed look. 

Revan looked away and noticed the Amazons watching their silent exchange with curious expressions. The conversation needed to be moved on with haste, before they started asking questions he really would hate to answer. 

Closing his eyes, he took a moment to calm himself down. This was not helping his situation and he knew it. Slowly, he reined his anger back, one slow breath at a time. He went to war to make sure the people in his galaxy were free to live as they pleased, to allow them that choice. 

While it would grate him to apologise, he could see why they would be offended. If he had antagonised the Mandolorians like that, he would no doubt already be fighting the entire room.

“My comments were unfair,” He said, trying not to pull a face at his own words. Deema would be really handy right about now.

The Queen waited for him to continue, as did Kara who beckoned him to.

“In the past, deities tried to manipulate me which ended badly, for them,” Revan said carefully, not wanting to give too much away. His past was his to tell, and telling it to a bunch of Amazons, the Queen and whoever else maybe listening was not going to happen.

The Queen merely frowned. “While I find your apology lacking, as a favour to Kara Zor-El, you will be spared punishment this time. This is the last chance I will give you Revan. Break the rules or insult the Amazons or the Deities of this island again, you will be expelled from this island. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

The Queen gave a pointed look.

“Your Grace,” Revan gritted out. 

“Good, then you are dismissed. Just remember Revan, they are always watching.”

At that command, Revan and Kara both turned around to leave, but the Queen's voice quickly rang out again.

“I have not dismissed you Kara Zor-El, only Revan. We have much to discuss.”

Both of them froze and turned around. 

_ ‘Do you want me to stay?’ _ Revan asked over the bond, glaring at the Queen, trying to work out what game she was playing.

_ ‘No, I’ll be fine.’ _ Kara replied after a couple of seconds without looking at him. Revan felt her apprehension through the bond, though it was also accompanied by determination.

Revan nodded. It frustrated him not being able to know what the Queen would be saying, but it was probably for the best. It wouldn’t surprise him if the Queen would be warning Kara away from him, using the conversation they had just had as evidence. He just hoped that Kara would be able to see the blatant manipulation for what it was. 

Knowing that he had already pushed his luck here further than he should have, and staying would risk it further, he began to head out of the throne room. As he left, he thought that he would probably be in a lot worse situation if it wasn’t for Kara. He continued towards the entrance, when Kara added _ ‘I’ll meet you at the bottom of the steps.’ _

Surprised, all Revan responded with was, _ ‘okay,’ _though there was also another surprise when the Queen’s voice called his name. 

“Oh and Revan. If your Ghosts ever come back to this island, they will not leave it alive.” 

Surprise soon turned to anger within him. ‘_ If the Ghosts ever came back, it would be to burn your civilization to the ground’, _he thought angrily. No one threatens his people like that. However, all he could do was give her an irritated look.

With that and a wave of her hand, all the guards in the room came to escort him out of the room, leaving Kara and the Queen on their own. The doors slowly closed behind the last of the guards as they followed him out into the corridor. 

Nearly all the guards were giving him hateful looks, so he decided it would be best to wait outside the palace. As he began making his way outside, it did not escape his attention that he had a couple of the guards following him.

As he walked, he thought of what had transpired in the throne room. He knew he had lost his head in there, but the interrogation annoyed him… and then for it all to be pointless anyway. Revan hated being at a disadvantage, let alone on an alien planet on his own having to play along with the Amazons. It could be a lot worse, he knew that. But he seemingly wasn’t making any further progress with his mission since first arriving here.

It seemed as if he was back where he was two years ago; no cause, no purpose and no hope to remedy it.

No, he would never fall like that again.

However, giving the meeting some more thought, it wasn’t totally pointless. It did confirm what he had feared on the beach, that a deity had interfered with the portal. He had put off researching the island’s deities, as a powerful being himself, it would definitely draw their attention. But as the Queen had said, they were already watching him and so he would have to learn about them.

After winding his way through the palace to the top of the steps that led down to the city, he felt a shift in the force. It was familiar to him and he let out a sigh of relief, feeling some of the weight and stress lifted off his shoulders.

“Well look who's making friends,” came a sarcastic voice from behind him.

Revan turned to be greeted by the smirking Deema, dressed in his trademark trench coat which housed untold mysteries within. He wore light armour underneath it, with a pair of black combat boots on his feet and tight trousers, making for a rather dashing look.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m actually happy to see you,” Revan said, cracking a smile as he beckoned for Deema to follow him over to an area to the right of the steps that offered a view of the city.

“There really is a first time for everything because you don’t look like you’ve just climbed out a rancor's den with a horrific skin disease. Seems to me that island life suits you,” Deema said chuckling, as he followed him over to the area.

Before anything else could be said, four guards approached the two men, swords already drawn. Revan stepped protectively in front of Deema, but the spy swaggered past him, coming face to face with the squad of Amazons.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he said with a wink. Behind his back, he made the signal to stand down, which Revan did reluctantly. 

“You are trespassing on Amazonian territory. You were warned not to return here,” one of the Amazons said stepping forward. While the other Amazons were dressed in bronze armour, hers was silver, showing her to be the highest ranking officer.

“The Queen allowed it this one time,” claimed Deema with such confidence that Revan would be inclined to believe him.

The Amazons appeared hesitant, looking from one to another. Revan carefully started to gather the force around him, getting ready to launch the Amazons down the stairs if he needed to.

“Wait a second…” Deema said, as much to Revan as to the Amazons, as he reached into his trench coat’s endless pockets. 

“No, Lexcorp’s security pass. No, Amanda Waller’s house keys. Ah, there we are,” he said flourishing a scroll and handing it to the confused guards. 

They read it at least three times before finally looking up skeptically. “The Queen will still be informed,” the leader said, disbelief etched on her face.

“Feel free, I’m not going to stop you. Are you going to stop them?” He asked Revan sarcastically.

Revan just shook his head in response.

The guards looked affronted while they moved to stand in the vicinity to keep a watch on them, but the leader marched off into the palace.

With a flick of his wrist, Revan quickly distorted the sound around them with the force as they both made their way back over to the wall overlooking the city to ensure their privacy. Deema sat on the wall and watched the city below while Revan leaned on the wall, focusing on Deema. Revan didn’t bother trying to read him, it only led to frustration. It had puzzled him when they had first met, that Deema did not have a force signature. He had only been able to detect him after spending a lot of time around him. The little tremor in the force that announced his arrival had been useful to Revan, though he didn’t know what actually caused it.

He doubted that Kara would struggle to find him as soon as the Queen had finished with her. However, he was curious as to how she had found him yesterday. He had felt her continually getting closer to his position as he had fought, so luck was out of the question. Another surprise was that Kara landed on the beach in a controlled manner. While it was not much, it showed that she was taking in what he was trying to teach her.

“If they come back, I’m hiding behind you,” said Deema, drawing Revan’s mind to the present.

“That makes a change,” Revan replied dryly.

“I know, you might actually do something useful on this island.” 

That earned Deema’s back a glare. “This island has been more problematic than I had anticipated.”

“Problematic or distracting?” Deema jibed, turning to smirk at Revan, his eyes shining in glee.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Revan said defensively.

Deema’s smirk grew.

“I don’t blame you, she stands out even on an island full of beautiful women. What I didn’t realise was that you moved so quickly. I never had you down as the smooth type. Not after...”

“That’s not what I’m doing,” growled Revan, not giving Deema a chance to finish.

“No, of course. You’ve just decided to start training her personally, which you’ve never done for anyone before, for no reason whatsoever.”

“What else would you have me do? I needed to know whether she had any knowledge of what her parents had planned for her.”

“Did you find that out before or after you started sleeping with her?”

Revan started to feel his anger boiling inside of him. Lashing out at Deema, while tempting as it may be, would not result in anything beneficial. Still the force swirled around him, ready for him to use at any time.

“I have not slept with her,” said Revan in a dangerously low voice.

Deema’s smirk dropped from his face, 

“You sleep in the same building as her. I wasn’t suggesting…”

“Yes you were. Now drop it,” commanded Revan, somehow already tired of Deema’s presence. Sometimes he felt the force sent Deema to annoy him for all the wrong he had done in his life.

Deema looked back over the city thoughtfully, quiet for a rare moment. Yet his fingers still drummed endlessly on the stone wall in front of him.

“You've killed to protect her twice. I wonder how long before you kill for her again?” He probed, knowing exactly what buttons to push.

Revan felt anger overwhelm him for a second, lightning dancing around his fists at the mention of Krypton and Malak.

“I had to do it. Kara is not Alura and she is not Zod. She is as much a victim of them as I was, you know that.” 

“And what of those on your ship? What are you going to tell them?” 

Just then Kara appeared next to them looking confused. Revan quickly dispelled the lightning that had been curling around his fists. One of Deema’s hands had disappeared into his trench coat, though it reappeared empty when he saw it was Kara.

Revan's eyes regarded her with caution and watched as she glared between the two of them.

“So this is how you hid yourself when you left the quarters last night,” she stated, looking around the distorted space. Through the bond Revan could feel an edge to her, a pent up anger. Whatever the Queen and Kara had discussed, it had clearly affected her. Though he supposed it could have been Deema’s presence, he had that effect on a lot of people.

Revan nodded in reply, tearing his gaze from her to look over the city. The Amazons were little ants as they scuttled around the city below him. As he watched, he noted that there seemed to be a steady stream of supplies heading towards the west of the island. No, that was a supply line.

Glancing at Deema, he threw a questioning look his way. Deema just shrugged his shoulders, acting nonchalantly. Revan knew better though. When Deema didn’t know something, it bugged him no end. He would have found out everything he could before Revan’s arrival, and so for him not knowing meant that it was being kept a closely guarded secret.

“How did you find us so quickly? I presumed you would be a while yet,” Deema asked as he turned to face her. Revan perked up at the question, wanting to know himself. As he turned, he noticed that Deema quickly glanced at the knife on Kara’s waist. Somehow, Deema’s eyes seemed to become even more mischievous than before.

Kara’s gaze flickered between the two of them, asking Revan the silent question of whether she should say it in front of Deema or not. Revan gave a small nod, thinking that Deema had already worked it out.

“Through the bond, I can track Revan. It's hard to describe. It's a feeling that I can follow. It’s not a pinpoint, but it led me to the beach last night and here today.”

“As I’ve said before, the deeper the bond goes…”

“The deeper the connection. Yes, I remember you saying.” Kara finished for him, a hint of frustration in her voice. 

“Awwww, you two even finish each other’s sentences. How cute,” Deema mocked, turning to watch their faces burn with embarrassment.

_ ‘Please let me pick him up and drop him from a great height. I promise to try and catch him,’ _Kara said angrily over the bond, a murderous glint on her slightly red tinged face.

_ ‘If you do, drop him in the sea. He hates getting his hair wet,” _Revan replied, his own face feeling slightly hot.

He imagined Deema furiously cursing the sea for daring to beseech his holy hair. 

Kara snorted at that too, which caused Deema's face to light up in a way he had rarely seen. 

“You can telepathically communicate as well? This just gets better and better. Wait, does that mean Revan told a joke? Don’t tell me I missed Revan telling a joke,” Deema said dramatically, his eyes lit up like a Mandalorian child holding their first blaster.

“Do you ever shut up, Deema?” Kara said, saying his name with emphasis, trying to get a reaction out of him.

Revan nearly laughed at that. Trying to make Deema uncomfortable was as pointless as trying to beat a Mon Calamari in a swimming contest.

“First name basis, why Kara I didn’t realise we were friends already?” Deema replied smoothly, placing his hand over his heart.

“We’re not,” snarled Kara, her fist clenched at her side, angered by the lack of effect her comment had. The two of them continued to trade insults and quips, yet there was no real malice in them.

The two of them reminded him of a time before the war, before the darkness. When him and his friends would argue over something immaterial, like who was the fastest in a race, or who could lift the most with the force. 

He felt something in his chest then. 

Something he hadn’t felt since his last day on Tython.

Deema’s wrist started beeping, breaking the spell that Revan had fallen into. Puzzled, Deema stopped grinning and pulled out a holo computer. Revan and Kara both shared confused looks with each other as Deema’s hand glided over the device. 

Kara kept staring at him though. She must have felt his emotions over the bond. Revan knew he was probably going to be bombarded with questions later.

“Ah,” Deema finally said as he put the holo computer away, “you’ve got an incoming call in 3, 2, 1…” 

And as he finished counting, Revan saw a light flicker on Kara’s waist. She unclipped it from her belt, and pressed the flickering light, causing a hologram of Kal El’s head and shoulders to appear. 

The look of surprise on Kara’s face had been near comical, though she looked more unnerved than anything else.

“Kara can you hear me?”

“Yeah, sorry Kal,” Kara replied, not taking her eyes off Deema. Revan had to admit, even for Deema, that was creepy.

“We will leave you to it,” Deema smiled, and theatrically gestured for Revan to lead the way.

Revan gave Kara an apologetic look before saying _ ‘I’ll be in the city,’ _

Kara nodded before turning and walking off, talking to Kal El. Revan watched her as she went, feeling her happiness at talking to her cousin shine through the bond.

“Put your tongue away Revan. I swear, you’re both as bad as each other,” Deema mocked, dragging Revan’s now irritated gaze back to him. He was standing at the top of the steps again which led to a tempting thought entering Revan’s mind.

“Come on, I know that look. You’ll feel bad later if you push me down these steps. Plus, I’m sure your girlfriend wouldn’t be impressed.”

“She’s not my…”

“Sure, sure, whatever you say.”

They began walking down the steps in silence. A few Amazons passed them on the way up but didn’t cause an issue. The sun was high in the sky above them, causing Revan to squint at the bustling city below. They made it a quarter of the way down before Revan started speaking. 

“Those men on the beach were intergang. Who are they?”

“They’re quite prominent in this galaxy, using advanced technology to commit petty crimes such as racketeering and heists.”

“Then why send them my way?”

“They were getting close to discovering where Kara was, so I gave them a little helping hand,” said Deema, his smirk growing a little.

“Which brought them straight to me,” Revan surmised.

“I had rather hoped you would remain anonymous.”

“Why? Now they know Kara is off limits.”

“An unknown evil is worse than a known one.”

Revan couldn’t argue with that.

“You care for her,” Deema stated after a pause. 

Revan replied with a nod. While he wasn’t sure what he felt for her, he knew he did care for her. 

“Oh Revan, why do you always have to make it so complicated?”

“She’s good, quick to learn and determined. Kara needed a teacher…”

“No, that’s what you needed. You needed to teach her to get a read on her. That’s not a problem. What is a problem is that isn’t what Kara needed,” Deema said in an unusually earnest voice.

Revan felt Deema grab his shoulders and he spun him round to face him. Gone was the smirk. Gone was the mischievous look in his eye. 

“What she needs is a friend, someone she can trust. I'm guessing you remained quite distant from her. Told her a few dark things that happened to you, but other than that you just buried yourself and her in training,” Deema said with a tone that reminded him of his first master scolding him.

“You know better than anyone…”

“Yes I do. So listen to me. She lost her entire world and people, is on an unknown planet surrounded by unknown people and you act like you want her to feel sorry for you?”

Revan pushed Deema and stared angrily at him for a few seconds. His fists were itching to make contact with Deema’s surprisingly honest face. Instead, he turned away before he gave into the temptation and continued down the steps.

“It doesn’t matter now anyway,” he said as he walked downwards.

“And why’s that?” Deema asked as he followed him.

“I showed her what happened on the Rao research station,”

“All of it?” Deema said disbelievingly.

“Enough,”

“You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. What bit?”

“The day before the last,” Revan said quietly.

Deema was silent for a moment, before he started laughing. Revan stopped and glared at the jovial sound erupting from his friends mouth. While quick to smirk or chuckle, Deema hardly ever laughed loudly and genuinely.

“You are a genius. Honestly, how do you do it?”

“What are you going on about?” Revan questioned, confused. Sometimes he really wondered how Deema’s mind worked.

“Wait, you mean casting the one thing she believed in and loved the most into doubt wasn’t your plan?”

“No, that wasn’t my intention.”

“It doesn’t matter what your intention was. The only person who has been reliable and trustworthy to her is you.”

Revan laughed at that. “How? All I’ve done is manipulate her for my own needs, you said so yourself.”

“That may be true, yet she defended you in front of the Queen and the entire Amazonian court. She could have easily fed you to the Nexu but she didn’t. There is some trust there from her, you just need to prove to her that it’s mutual.”

“The only reason she stayed this long is that the Queen ordered her to watch me. She feels that I am her responsibility, that’s all. That’s why she doesn’t want anything bad to happen because it will make her look bad.”

“Well, that settles it then. If she has been ordered by the Queen, and sees it as her duty, then I’m afraid you’re stuck with her. There is no way that a Kryptonian is going to go back on their duty, especially one as stubborn as her.”

“We’ll see,” Revan said ominously. While he doubted Kara’s willingness to keep close to him after yesterday, he knew Deema was right. It always amazed him how one moment Deema could be such a child and the next be his best advisor.

They finally reached the bottom of the steps, the guards at the bottom stepping aside as the two of them strode into the main square. 

“How are the men?” Revan asked after some Amazonian soldiers hurried past.

“Restless. They still don’t understand why they are here.”

They were not the only ones, “And the commandos?”

“Doing as you instructed. All missions so far have been successful, though I had to step in at one point to ensure the success of one mission.”

“Ravage?” Revan asked

“He really takes after his mother doesn’t he?”

Revan nodded in silence.

They paused, watching the Amazons go about their daily life around them. To Revan, it seemed so peaceful. This was what he liked to believe he was protecting in his own galaxy. To allow people to go about their lives in peace, not threatened by any being who just sees them as theirs to do with as they wished.

“It’s strange, don’t you think, that Meetra had a ship waiting for your return?” said Deema, breaking the silence, his eyes darting around the square.

Revan nodded, his chest tightening at the mention of his old friend. He had wanted to go and see her, he really had. Her words when they had last seen each other the final day before they arrived back in their own galaxy still echoed within him. 

“Bastila would have told her all that has transpired, as you ordered. Plus, word is she is pretty high up in the Galactic Confederation, so she would have access to a lot of sources. And I’m pretty sure she would have felt something in the force at your return due to a couple of the force users on your ship collapsing at your sudden presence,” Deema stated, pulling out a datapad, his tone neutral. 

Knowing Meetra, if she was still the woman he had known, then she would at least send someone to find him. It scared him though. What would he say, sorry he abandoned their cause in its most important hour?

And Bastila, poor Bastila. She had been by his side through almost everything; from his Jedi days, to the war, Skyrim and back. He had ordered her to report to Meetra, to try and stop them both from following him on his quest. He cared about them both far too much to let them get caught up in his own dark spiral.

He shook his thoughts from his head. They all would see each other again, he would make sure of that, but for now he would wait. Going to Meetra now would only show her how weak he had become. He would go to her as an equal, as someone of worth.

“Meetra is not the patient type, not when it comes to her close friends and allies. Whatever she has planned will have already begun. It won’t be long before I hear,” Deema said, hands gliding over the handheld computer.

“Any news on Temple?”

Deema’s hand froze at that, a scowl gracing his face. Revan knew that wasn't a good thing, for Deema to show an emotion other than sarcasm and arrogance was always a cause for concern.

“I tried, but she went into hiding. I only have a very limited access to ‘The Numbers’ network. Only those who know me well enough to know for a fact it’s me have started to work for me again. And that’s not a lot.”

Revan sighed, sharing Deema’s frustration.

They continued towards the ornate fountain in the middle of the square. Once in front of it, Deema sat on the edge of the fountain though was quickly lectured by a few passing Amazons about respect and the power of the denizens of Mount Olympous. As always, Deema took it in his stride, apologising and even caused one of the Amazons blush at a particularly crude comment. After winning them over, the Amazons left satisfied with their lesson.

Deema turned to Revan, his face serious. 

“I need you to promise me something,”

Revan just frowned and stared at Deema. The next thing that was going to come out of Deema’s mouth he doubted he was going to like.

“Listen to Kara. While she is naive, she is smarter than you think. I know you think you can’t trust her…”

“I can’t…”

“We both know if you didn’t trust her at least a little, you would never in a million years sleep in the same room with her, not after what happened with Darth Cynia.”

Revan instantly gritted his teeth, trying not to lash out at Deema for bringing that name up.

“Not all women are like that, Kara especially. She is not going to eurgh…” Deema didn’t get to finish as he was flung to the floor a good few metres away. 

Revan lowered his hand from the force push he had just unleashed, his hand trembling in anger. All around him, he felt the fearful stares of the Amazonains. Though there were guards stationed in the square, they didn’t intervene, too which Revan was thankful for. However, some of them did place their hands on their weapons, eyes wary.

“Speak of her again and I’ll rip her name out of your mind,” Revan growled, looking down at him.

Deema laid there, looking up at the sky with his trademark smirk plastered on his face. With a dramatic sigh, he pulled himself up and made an effort to brush off his trench coat. One of the Amazons he had talked to earlier came over and checked to see if he was hurt. Deema laughed her off, but thanked her sincerely nevertheless.

It had always amazed Revan that Deema could manipulate people so easily. He had only spoken a couple of minutes with the Amazonain and yet she was already at least fond of the spy. The scary thing was, if Deema had to kill her, he wouldn’t hesitate, not for a second. 

“I wondered how long it was going to take for you to snap. Honestly I’m impressed you lasted that long. Though, I suggest you be more careful Revan. They are already watching you and you have run out of chances with the Queen. Tread carefully,” Deema said, tearing Revan out his thoughts and gesturing up to the palace which looked down from above them.

Just then, Revan felt a familiar presence and turned to face a frowning Kara marching across the square towards them.

“I leave you for five minutes and now there is talk of a fight in town,” she said, coming to stand in front of them.

“It wasn’t a…” Revan began.

“Revan got a bit emotional, you know how he is,” Deema said chuckling.

Revan shot Deema a dangerous look, but the spy just ignored him. 

Kara raised an eyebrow skeptically, but a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. 

Revan felt his face heat up a little, and so turned away from the other two, finding something interesting in some of the store fronts. He really wished he had his mask on now. Why did his allies always seem to enjoy making him uncomfortable?

Deema’s face suddenly turned serious. 

“Well, as much as it is fun to watch you two, I have to leave you both. Unfortunately, a certain bat has instructed his oldest protégé to keep tabs on me. So before he tracks me here I have to depart. Any messages you want me to pass on?”

“Tell them to be ready, it won’t be long now,” Revan said, knowing that with his chances with the Queen gone, it was increasingly likely that his forces would be required.

Kara cast a suspicious look after he said it. Even to Revan it had sounded quite ominous.

“Will do. I’ll be seeing you Revan. And a pleasure as always, Kara Zor-El,” Deema said with a wink. Spinning on his heel, he turned and started walking with Revan and Kara watching him go. 

A couple of steps was all he took before he stopped. He only said goodbye when he wasn't going to be around for a while. Still Revan could see the left side of Deema’s cheek pinched in a giant smirk. 

Whatever he was about to say, it was not going to be good. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kara narrow her eyes in suspicion at Deema and through the bond he felt her uneasiness. Even now it was on edge more than it usually was. It showed that she had a good instinct.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Kara, has Revan ever told you the cultural significance of the knife he gave you?”

Revan was going to kill him. In his peripheral vision, Kara shook her head in a negative.

Deema covered his mouth dramatically. “Whoops, thought he had. Oh well, I’m sure he will be happy to explain…” _ BANG! _A smoke bomb erupted from his feet sending out a wave of thick grey smoke which covered the entire area.

By the time the smoke would have cleared, Revan knew that he would be long gone. Deema and his damn dramatic exits.

Kara went to inhale to clear the smoke, but Revan quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head.

_ ‘The smoke is poisonous if you inhale too much of it, even to Kryptonians,’ _ Revan explained. _ ‘It’ll dissipate soon.’ _

_ ‘Why can’t I see through it with my enhanced vision?’ s _he asked.

_ ‘It’s designed to allow escape from Kryptonains. The materials it’s made of block a Kryptonain’s vision, plus with Deema’s cloaking device it is near impossible for anyone to find him.’ _

And after a minute or so it did dissipate. After that, a few angry Amazons came storming over demanding who just let a bomb off in the middle of their square. Fortunately for Revan, Kara managed to calm the Amazons down, promising that it wasn’t a bomb and pointing out that no one was hurt. While they were far from happy, they agreed to let it go.

After the Amazons had walked away, Revan and Kara started making their way back to their quarters. They were in the outskirts of the city, not far now. Around them, Revan sensed a few Amazons that were persistently on their tail. Yet he knew there was little he could do about them. Another incident would mean war, which would be a waste of lives.

As they walked, Revan could feel the burning curiosity from Kara over the bond. Taking Deemas words to heart, he decided to be forthcoming for a change. Much to his annoyance, the spy was usually right when it came to people. He also knew that there was no way in the force that Kara was going to drop the subject, as stubborn as she was.

“The knife, as you might have guessed, is a part of the set I have. They are of Mandalorian origin, given as a gift from The Mandalore for my ability and friendship with him and my respect for the culture. They are made from Mandalorian iron, a strong enough material to deflect lightsabers and reflect blaster fire. The same material that my armour is made from. Four of the knives of the set are suited specifically to one job, while the fifth is a hybrid, a mix of all four and the easiest to use. It is nicknamed the ‘Knife of the Heart’ for its position on the wearer’s body and…”

Revan stopped and rubbed his face, wondering how best to explain this.

“And…” Kara asked impatiently, the knife still hanging at her side.

“For the Mandolorians it signifies complete trust in the individual that is given the blade. And usually it is given to the one closest to the user.”

“The closest…, wait, you mean…” Kara stopped.

Revan nodded and looked away, seeing faces disappear from the windows as his gaze turned to them. Like normal, it was just the Amazonian citizens seeing two aliens walking down their street. It was strange to think that though he and the Amazons looked similar, he was as much an alien as a Trandoshan would be here.

“Why did you give it to me?” Kara asked intently, struggling to understand.

“It's the easiest to wield. At the time if you had an ineffective weapon it could have put my life and your life in jeopardy. The others…”

“They all have a speciality, so are harder to use,” Kara finished for him.

Revan frowned at her for interrupting him but nodded anyway. It was fine when they were alone or around Deema, but in front of his people, such a thing would be looked down upon. They would already have a hard time trusting her due to her being a Kryptonain. Many of them knew someone who had died during the war, whether that be a parent, grandparent or friend. 

“If it helps, I never had much stock in their stories. With the Mandalorians, they always embellish the truth in their stories, like most cultures.” Revan sensed her apprehension through the bond. He cursed Deema for putting both of them into this awkward position.

“Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

“When I first arrived on the island and I saw you still with it, I was surprised. But as the days went by, I saw that the knife was important to you. Then, when you moved into my quarters, I saw that you thought of it as more than a knife. You use it as reassurance, as a sign of security. I… I couldn't take that away from you. Not after you had lost so much,”

Revan cringed inwardly at how he sounded. How is it on a raging battlefield he knows his purpose, and knows what to do? Yet when speaking, especially to Kara, he feels lost? Through the bond, he sensed surprise and sadness. Yet, there was still anger. There always was.

The sound of the knife being drawn from its sheath echoed a lot louder around him than it should have. 

“I don’t care about this stupid knife,” Kara said, holding the knife out to him. Revan sensed the lie but let her finish. “I kept it with me because it was one of the only things that was mine. All I have is the clothes I have on now and this knife. That’s why I kept it. Not because it meant anything, but because it was something.”

“Do you want it?” Revan asked simply.

“I… I don’t know?” Kara said shakily as she looked down at the knife, her hand trembling slightly.

“That knife offers you something that nothing else can at the moment. When I leave this island, if you still want me to take it, I will. By then, hopefully things would have changed.”

“You would let me keep it, even though I now know what it represents?”

“I would rather you didn’t die because you lacked a weapon than be worried about what some gossips will say,” he said, though he knew it would be far more complicated if she did keep it.

“I don’t need a weapon to protect myself,” Kara argued.

Revan rolled his eyes at her immaturity. Weapons were always useful things to have, even if one didn’t need them. Without retorting, he turned back to her and walked on. Through the bond he felt her anger spike, and soon felt her follow him. The confusion on her face was endearing, though it was soon replaced with a look of suspicion. She quickly caught up to him, looking at him expectantly. Did Deema know that this was how the conversation was going to turn out? Deema would have known that Kara would have felt betrayed by the revelation, resulting in Revan having to try and fix it. And the only way to do that was to talk. Was Deema testing both him and Kara? 

Plus, he felt bad about how he had reacted to Kara’s new outfit. House of El was one of the worst houses, as they always had the best troops and equipment. But towards the end of the war, they had been the biggest pushers behind the peace movement which showed at least they had some humanity in them. Their forces had carried out no offensive operations once Revan had returned from his capture. Though looking back on it now, was that to make sure Revan didn't dismiss them straight away when they asked for his help. 

All of it hurt his head to think about. 

If Deema’s objective had been to get Revan to open himself up to Kara, then now he was in a position in which he had to. With a deep breath he summoned all the courage he had. The only sounds around him were the soft crunches of his and Kara’s steps, the city seemingly listening to him as well.

“I want to thank you,” Revan started softly, and already he saw the result of his statement had an impact. Kara’s face was one of incredulities, and through the bond all he sensed was shock. Revan was almost insulted at her response. Surely it wasn't that surprising.

“What for?” Kara stuttered, trying to work out what he was playing at.

“In the throne room,”

“Oh, well you didn’t really give me a choice. You insulted them and their beliefs in front of the Queen. They would have killed you if I hadn’t stepped in.”

“They’re welcome to try,”

“Why does everything have to be answered by violence with you? The only outcome of that fight would be you or them dead. What would be the point of that?”

Revan had an answer to that, though he didn’t say anything. Alerting the Gods to how deep his hatred ran for them would benefit no one.

“It’s not the Queen you have the problem with though is it?”

This subject needed to be changed quickly. Going down this road now would not do anyone any good. So he decided to try what Deema would do. What would be the most unexpected statement to come from him which wasn’t a lie?

“I have been unfair to you these past weeks. I've been quite… inwardly focused…” Revan began. The reaction on her face told him that it had thrown her. She quickly recovered though.

“Selfish. The word you're looking for is selfish.” Kara interrupted, giving him a dangerous look.

Revan should have known that this wasn't going to be simple, Kryptonian pride was well known. That, plus her sharp wit resulted in quite the vocal duelist.

“If you would let me finish,” Revan said, taking another breath, trying to keep himself calm. Why did she always try to push him at the worst times? “I've tried to keep my distance from you for your own benefit. People who get close to me don’t usually live very long. My past is full of people that I cared about who died because of me and my decisions. Because of that, I didn’t want you to suffer the same fate. I promised your mother that I would protect you…” 

Kara tried to interrupt but Revan put his hand up in silence. He walked a little in front of her, hiding most of his face so she couldn’t read him.

“No matter what she did, to me or you, I still made a promise. I swore to protect you. And that's what I thought I was doing. I was wrong. I treated you as a project to try and keep that distance there, not as a person. I know better than most what it's like to be seen as one. For that, I am truly sorry. I understand if you want to stop training under me because of it.”

Silence overtook them the rest of the way as they walked, their quarters coming into sight now up ahead. Revan, to his own surprise, felt a little better after that. It was a strange feeling, one that he had rarely felt before. He hadn't meant to say that much, but once again once he started talking he couldn’t stop himself. Through the bond he could sense that Kara was deep in contemplation. While he had not intended that last bit, it gave her a way out if she wanted it. Revan’s worry wasn’t in the immediate future, more what would come after. It would be easier for both of them if they parted amicably now.

“I accept your apology.” Kara's voice awoke him from his thoughts. “But try to be less of an idiot in the future. How you are now is a lot better than your brooding self.” She paused then, composing herself. “And I wish to keep learning from you. The way you fight, I can see why you were such a feared yet respected enemy of my people. I want to fight like that, to protect people.”

Revan turned around to face her then, surprised at her statement. It wasn’t very often he had no clue as to what to say, but he was left astounded. He had never imagined he would see respect shining in her eyes when they looked at him. Deema had been right, Kara didn’t hate him. And to his disbelief, she still had more to say.

“I know you feel like you're part of the darkness and that it has vanquished all light inside of you, but I believe it is still in there. You’re not all darkness Revan, you have just forgotten what the light looks like,”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Revan said quietly, looking down.

“If you were so full of darkness, do you think The Queen and the Justice League would let you near the ones they care about and protect,” Kara exclaimed, apparently irritated by his dismissal.

“They're fools.” Revan growled, the force beginning to swirl around him.

“No, they see you as a person. One who has demons, yet still fights for what's right. Maybe it's time for you to stop believing that you are a villian and start seeing what other people see in you.”

“And what is that?” Revan asked, stepping towards her.

“I… I don't know,” Kara said “I can't speak for others, but I don't see you as a villain.”

Revan’s anger left him there and then. Of all the things for her to say, she truly didn’t see him as a bad man. While she didn’t know the full story of what he had done, especially in Skyrim, it meant a lot for him to hear that. He had made war on her people, blown up her planet and treated her badly while he had been here. How could she even look at him, let alone want to train under him.

Revan just nodded in response, not trusting himself to say anything else. They got to the steps up to their quarters before a sudden thought struck him.

“What is your goal, Kara?” Revan said, stopping at the top of the steps.

“What do you mean?” 

“What do you want to do after Themyscira?” he said, turning to look at her

“I… I want to help people, like Kal El does,” she said from the bottom of the steps.

Revan nodded, though he sensed apprehension from her. “You want to be a Hero?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kara replied.

Her good nature and kind heart would save a lot of people. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. If all she wanted to be was a hero, who was he to stop her? Who would've thought the last two Kryptonians, a race well known for their pride and grudges, would be two heroes? 

However, something inside him told him it would be a waste. Someone of her calibre could do so much more good than just helping the people of this world. 

Yet, who was he to tell her what to do.

“When you were talking to Deema, what did you mean by ‘Tell them to be ready, it won’t be long now’?’ Kara asked, bringing Revan out of his thoughts. He admired her tenacity. She really never let anything drop.

“The people on my ship are awaiting my return and so they must be ready for whatever comes next. Between its inhabitants and my own objectives, I’m sure that you realise I can’t stay on this island forever. You’ll be rid of me soon enough,” Revan said, turning away from her and looking at what had been his quarters for the last two weeks. Through the bond he felt a shift in Kara then. It was strange, an emotion he didn't recognise. But for a second, he felt it. It was familiar, yet he couldn't place it. 

Suddenly he felt a disturbance in the force, coming from the west of the island. It was the same feeling he had when he dreamed of the dark hand grabbing him, yet stronger. The darkness that he sensed at the fringe of the world. This time, it was real. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of that unpleasant dream. To his left, he noticed that Kara had also turned to look that way.

“Did you hear that?” Kara asked, her voice a whisper.

“No, but I sensed it,” Revan replied. If he could feel it all the way over here, whatever it was was powerful. 

“I’m going to go and take a look…” Kara began.

“Not on your own. Whatever it is, it's powerful.”

“I can take care of myself,”

“Plans made in haste are the first to fail. Have some patience,” Revan lectured, his voice authoritative. Kara just looked at him, a little wide eyed. He ignored her reaction.

“The Amazons might need our help. We can't let them fight whatever it is on their own,"

“We will, we just need to prepare adequately. I need to fetch my armour…”

With a burst of speed Kara disappeared and then within a couple of seconds reappeared in front of him with his armour and knives.

Revan just stared at her in silence.

“Hurry up,” Kara instructed, handing him his equipment. After that, she stepped back looking impatient.

The armour fell into place as it had many times before over his robe. A familiar thrumming started beating in his chest, adrenaline beginning to flood his system. How many times had he donned this armour? The fitting was second nature to him, his hands using the muscle memory of putting them on hundreds of times in his life.

“Go up into the sky and see if you can see it from here,” Revan ordered, putting his armoured greaves on.

Without a second's hesitation, Kara took off into the midday sky.

His armour had gone through a lot of upgrades since he had first worn it. Where most force users fought with robes and light armour, Revan had rejected that straight away. Instead, he had modified a spare Mandalorian armour set. While he had maximised his mobility, the armour had covered all of his vital parts. He had lost count of the amount of times the armour had saved his life.

He finished putting on his gauntlets when Kara dropped back down to the ground.

“I can’t see anything suspicious in that direction. Though, when I try looking with other types of vision I see the same thing,” Kara reported, looking confused.

“Probably a barrier to stop people from seeing what’s there,” Revan said thoughtfully, reaching to put his mask on. It pained him to realise that he didn’t have that or his lightsabers.

“Now we need to get moving and see what’s over there,” Revan said, getting up and testing his armour to check it was on correctly.

“I have an idea,” Kara said, watching Revan with a very slight smile on her face. 

Revan narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he saw she was looking at him with a strange look in her eyes. It worried him a little as he had seen the same look before but couldn’t place it.

“What do you propose…”

Wait, that wasn’t a smile, it was a smirk. Images flashed over the bond of him flying rather indignantly. 

“...NO!” But it was too late. Kara, with a speed quicker than he had seen her use before, darted forward until they were nose to nose. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as her blue eyes sparkled just in front of him. They were so clear, like the blue sky. He felt her arms slip under his shoulders and around his back. Before he knew it, he could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet. Instead, he felt the wind battering his face and body.

He didn’t care if he looked like an idiot, he clung to her for all he was worth. He buried his head into the crook of her neck, already feeling sick at how fast they were moving. While he had no problem with the force boosting his speed of agility, actually flying himself, unprepared, was a totally different scenario. 

To make it worse, Kara’s proximity was uncomfortable for him so he closed his eyes and hoped this would be over quickly. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this close to someone. Even though they were separated by clothes and armour, he could still feel her. The force wasn’t wasn’t something he cursed very often, but due to his sensitivity to it, all he could sense was Kara. It was overwhelming.

_ ‘I see a good spot up ahead. We can scout around there,’ _Kara said through the bond.

_ ‘Thank the force,’ _Revan replied, though he didn’t really feel like they were slowing down. And sure enough, he opened his eyes to see the ground hurrying towards him. He tried to wriggle free, but Kara kept an iron grip around him.

_ ‘What are you doing? Stop wriggling!’ _Kara commanded over the bond, her arms tightening around him.

_ ‘We are about to crash. Let me go,’ _Revan said angrily, still trying.

_ ‘I've been practising this. Stop being an idiot.’ _

Just then they came to an abrupt stop sending waves of dirt in every direction. Relief flooded Revan for a second as he finally felt the welcoming ground under his feet. He relaxed, but soon found himself being pushed backwards onto the floor with Kara on top of him. Even in the armour, he felt the impact. Right now he was stuck between a rock and a Kryptonian. 

Fortunately, he couldn’t sense any hostiles in the area, but even then he didn’t trust his senses completely due to how distracted his mind was at the moment. He couldn’t decide if this was bad or not, though he did find it hard to breath.

_ ‘Obviously someone still has to work on the landing,’ _Revan commented dryly over the bond, unlocking his arms from behind Kara, trying to ignore the fact they were in quite a compromising position.

_ ‘Maybe if you weren't such a blob it wouldn't have been a problem,’ _Kara muttered over the bond, pushing herself up so she was hovering over his face. A light red tinged her face, showing that Revan wasn't the only one suffering from the closeness. 

Yet neither moved.

_ ‘Yeah, Kryptonians aren’t known for their strength, are they?’ _ Revan replied sarcastically, staring at her. Her blonde hair cascaded around her head looking like a golden shower. One particularly annoying strand danced on the tip of his nose, taunting him. Their breath mingled in the small space between them.

“What do we have here?” A voice from behind the blonde curtain called out to them. Kara was off Revan in an instant, allowing him to breathe again. The sudden oxygen surge and the loss of the distraction of Kara caused his senses to remind him that he still felt sick. The sky above him seemed to spin in the wind as he laid there, trying to come to terms with what had just happened. He noticed the sun had started its descent into the afternoon now. Or was it rising? He closed his eyes and called on the force to aid his body in his time of need.

It was only a few seconds before the nausea had passed and Revan quickly stood up, brushed himself off and took in his surroundings. They looked to be in some kind of quarry, with sheer faces of stone rising up on all sides. Revan could sense magic in them, though he wasn't sure what kind of magic. While the force could detect when something wasn't ordinary, he had a hard time discerning what it actually was, especially when it came to magic. Though he was under no illusion that the magic, whatever it was, was extremely powerful.

A squad of about fifty battle ready Amazons were looking at him with a mixture of confusion, disgust and intrigue. Over to his right, some of the Amazons were talking animatedly with Kara about what they saw happen. There were no horses in sight, so they were travelling on foot. They looked to be in a hurry, so why no horses? He quickly cleared his throat, directing their attention to him.

“What’s the situation?” he asked, ignoring their inquisitive looks.

“I was about to ask the same thing, Revan,” one of the Amazons replied, stepping forward. It didn't really surprise him that she knew who he was. On an island full of women, one man stood out a lot. She was obviously the leader of the group, with ornate gold armour and weapons. Just by looking into her eyes, Revan recognised the focus and cool gaze of an experienced soldier, though he wasn't so sure about the Amazons around her. She looked at him with a look of both suspicion and concern.

“We both sensed something happen around here so we came to investigate,” Revan answered uncaringly.

“You were certainly ‘investigating’ something,” One of the other Amazons muttered earning a few sniggers from the other warriors.

Revan frowned at the speaker, who when noticed, dropped her smile. 

“Will you help us?” the leader of the group asked instantly. 

_ ‘Wow, this must be bad,’ _ Revan said over the bond.

_ ‘Yeah, if they ask you for help they must really need it,’ _ Kara answered, coming to stand with him, leaving the smirking Amazons behind. He noticed that her posture was slouched, which wouldn’t do. Whatever the Amazons had said seemed to have affected her. 

_ ‘Stand taller,’ _Revan instructed.

_ ‘What?’ _

_ ‘You are a Kryptonian. Your goal is to become a hero on this world. Heroes do not slouch, they stand tall,’ _ Revan explained over the bond. His words had the desired effect as he saw Kara’s back straighten and her stand tall once more to his left. The reaction was immediate in the Amazons as well, as those who had been smirking soon lost them. 

“The Doors of Death have been opened,” the leader pressed due to his lack of response.

Revan swore a chill passed through the air as she said that. Looking down the path, he felt that same darkness call to him again. At least the lack of horses made sense now. They spooked at any kind of magic, especially death.

“What you are looking at is the first reinforcement group to back up the main garrison. We must not delay,”

“We will accompany you,” Kara said, which caused Revan to look at her carefully. Everyone was staring at him now, all with expectant looks on them. 

_ ‘You do not speak for me, remember that,’ _Revan said over the bond, voicing his displeasure.

_ ‘Really? Is there a time in which you aren’t looking for an argument?’ _Kara chastised, glaring at him.

_ ‘I’m not…’ _Biting back his frustration, he realised that she was right, now was not the time for such talk. But when this was over, he would definitely have to have a word with her.

After a slight nod from Revan, they all set off down the gravel path which wound its way through darkening stone. The further the path went the blacker the rocks turned. The darkness seemed to get thicker and thicker through the force, like it was surrounding them. Up ahead of them, Revan could sense a battle though it seemed to be somewhat clouded. Through the force he could sense the emotions that a battlefield usually had. Yet he couldn’t make out anything else.

He wondered whether he should call down a platoon or squad to assist him and the Amazons. Unfortunately, he doubted the Amazons would appreciate an outside force meddling in their affairs. They were the definition of isolationist. Though it was the same with his people and the Green Lanterns. They had done fine without them and they would continue to do so. In the end he would be a hypocrite if he was to get his people involved.

“Why couldn’t I see the Gates of Death with my enhanced vision?” Kara asked the leader as they descended down the path at a brick pace, drawing Revan back to the present.

“They are surrounded by strong magic to hide their whereabouts. Some vile people have had designs on them in the past, both of this world and others. They don’t understand that the gates aren’t just meant to keep the dead in. They meant to keep the living and the dead apart. The living and the dead never play nice with each other. They both want what the other has. One wants to live again, while the other wants to live forever,” answered the Amazon, which Revan found himself inwardly agreeing with. Skyrim had shown him that the dead and the living interacting never ended well.

As they continued down the rough path, Revan thought about his previous fights with the undead. They usually acted like droids, singular in their purpose and never ones who used intellect. Yet, some of the more powerful ones could use tactics and higher forms of thought which concerned Revan, as they were on the edge of both life and death. The chances of there being powerful revenants were uncomfortably high. 

He had hated draugr with a passion back in Skyrim. Those infernal things had killed many an unprepared adventurer. And worse, the further into the tombs one went, the tougher the fight became. The amount of corpses he had to step over in some of the tombs had made him sick. Most of the adventurers were young, on their first adventure, only to meet their end at the ebony blade of a merciless killer. 

The dead outside of those tombs were no better, they were drawn to weakness like Mandalorians to a fight. What he wouldn’t do to have Rhaegarson by his side right now. His mastery and understanding of magic, especially the undead, would come in extremely useful.

“I thought there was a God of the Dead, Ha…” Kara began, ripping Revan out of his thoughts. He quickly shut her off once he realised what she was about to say.

“KARA,” he said, grabbing her shoulder, and spinning her around to face him, “never say their names. To them, the names they have give them power, especially when said by those who are powerful themselves,” Revan lectured, his iron tone showing his seriousness. 

Kara looked at him in disbelief, stunned by his action, before shrugging off his hand. “What do you mean, they are just words?”

“Revan speaks true. To say their name is to invite their attention. While the more benevolent gods and goddesses may ignore you or in some rare cases aid you, most will watch you with more mischievous or downright hostile intentions. You have dealt with beings like this before, haven't you?” the Amazonian leader asked, surprise evident in her voice, her eyes analysing Revan.

Revan nodded, and looked her straight in the eye, though he didn’t elaborate. They continued in silence for the next couple of minutes as they marched onwards down the ashen path. Revan fell to the back of the column to get a read on the soldiers. He saw that Kara had fallen in with the Amazons she had been talking with earlier, probably her old roommates. As they walked, he could feel a lot of uneasiness from the Amazons, especially their leader. Suspicious, he made his way to the front where she was heading the column, her bright gold armour leading the way.

“I've seen the Amazons fight. They are better trained than most soldiers, yet you are still worried. What is happening at those gates?” Revan demanded as he came up to her. Didn’t they understand the more he knew the more he could help?

“You’ll see in a minute. I have my orders, but I need to see the situation first,” the Amazon replied, increasing her pace, gravel crunching underfoot. They couldn’t be far now.

“I need to know the full picture. Hiding information from me is not going to help you!” Revan snapped, coming up beside her, scowling.

“You will know what I tell you, now fall back in line!” the Amazonian barked, daring him to challenge her.

Revan nearly punched her, but a hand on his shoulder from Kara stopped him from acting.

“I can hear fighting ahead,” Kara said nervously looking down the path, her arm quickly retracting from his shoulder. There, a stone gatehouse rose out of the path, anchored to either side of the black cliffs. It looked old to Revan, built before the city of Themyscira, if he had to guess. The iron gate was open yet no one was manning it. Revan heard hushed whispers ripple down the column of troops. Hearing them all talk, it reminded him of the first time he had seen combat - a pirate outpost they had been instructed to target that was near their staging point for their invasion of the Kryptonian galaxy. He had never felt so small before that day. There were things one learned only on the battlefield, and he had begun to learn them that day. They all had. And yet, even then, they hadn’t had a green Kryptonian to take care of.

“The barrier is weakening, so soon?” the Amazonian leader said surprised, breaking into a full on sprint. By the sound of her voice that wasn’t good.

As they reached the gate, they were greeted by an empty courtyard beyond it. They rushed inside to be met with two Amazons, arguing. There was one soldier in bronze armour with a spear strapped to her back and another soldier in silver armour with a sword at her hip shouting at each other. If this was Revan’s army he would reprimand them immediately. It was clear that they were panicking, which was never a good thing in a battle. It made everyone uneasy. However, what interested Revan was what lay beyond them.

There was a second gate, though this one was different to the first one they had entered. Rather than just an iron gate, they were giant black metal doors, each with magic scriptures etched into their surfaces. They glowed faintly, the darkness around them threatening to swallow their light.

As the leader that Revan had travelled with made her way over to the arguing Amazons, Revan called Kara over and gestured to the black doors. The other Amazons fanned out, searching the courtyard and the walls for anything of interest. There was a tension in the air, as there was before many a battle. Everyone was restless, and the longer this continued, the more likely the less inexperienced soldiers would start overthinking everything. 

Revan and Kara stood in front of the closed gates, both using a different sense to try and see what was happening on the other side. Even though the doors were closed, both his lower robe and Kara’s cape and skirt blew in the wind emanating from it. The force around warned him of danger on the other side, and so he started to prepare himself, gathering the force around him. 

“I can’t… it's so foggy,” Kara said, her face scrunched in concentration.

Revan just nodded, his own efforts nearly fruitless. The only thing he sensed on the other side was a giant area filled with death.

The arguing hadn't stopped behind them, making Revan shake his head. While they wasted time more people died on the other side. If they were this indecisive then they may even…

No, they would not stoop so low as that.

Shaking his head at his own disillusion, he looked back to Kara who was watching the gate, fear creeping onto her face. One’s first real battle was always scary, no matter if you are a human, force user or Kryptonian. Revan knew that from personal experience.

“Kara,” he called to her, and instantly her head snapped round. Good, she was alert.

“Remember your training. There are going to be a lot of things happening in there when we do enter. Keep your mind clear and focused. One thing at a time. Do as I say and you’ll be fine, understand?”

Kara nodded, though she still looked a little nervous which was understandable. Deema’s voice echoed in his ears, reminding him to be a friend. Normally he would have left it at that but this was not normal in any way.

“I have faith in you Kara, as do the Amazons,” Revan said, trying to sound as encouraging as possible.

Kara didn’t respond for a moment, her blue eyes still watching him with a vulnerability to them. However, a small smile soon graced her face, and the vulnerability was replaced with a fierce look of determination.

“Thanks, I’ll do my best,” Kara responded earnestly. She looked like she was about to say more, but a loud voice interrupted her.

“Revan! Get over here!” The sergeant yelled from the middle of the courtyard.

Revan breathed through his nose and out again, trying to keep his frustration from showing. Kara raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head, knowing what she was asking. She would not be of use in this conversation. He had a feeling that he knew what was about to happen, and so turned and made his way to the four Amazons in the middle of the courtyard, leaving Kara by the gate. He had no doubt that she would be listening to the conversation anyway.

“What?” Revan asked as he approached, unimpressed. They really didn’t have time to be doing this.

“Such insolence,” one of the Amazons muttered. He regarded her cooly, tempering himself as to not start a fight. She wore bronze armour over dark skin which had a myriad of scars cut into it. Her face was one of arrogance and pride reminding Revan of the Sith he had fought with and against. The spear on her back was a weapon of beauty, even Revan had to admit that. While the pole looked to be some kind of red wood, the tip was gold with a blue mist seeping off of it.

The other two ignored her comment. One was the Amazon he had met earlier on the path and the other was the last of two who had been here when they had arrived.

All three of them looked like they were ready to fight, the only problem was that they were going to fight each other.

“We are at an impasse,” said the Amazon he had travelled with. “As the three most senior soldiers here, it is our decision on what we should do. However, there must be a majority on the solution between the three of us.”

How inefficient thought Revan. That hardly allowed for quick responses to surprises. He thought about calling them out on their terrible doctrine, but now was not the time to be petty like Deema.

“What are the options? Just know that the longer you take to decide, lives are wasted on the other side of the gate,” he said. One thing he hated more than anything was a waste of life, especially those he felt responsible for.

He was met with three sets of furious looks, all telling him that they knew that already.

The Amazon in the bronze armour went first. “Our sisters are trapped in there and we need to help them. We open the gates, storm in rescue our sisters and then retreat into the safety of these walls and decide what to do next.”

Then it was the Amazon in silver who had been with the bronze armoured Amazon when they had arrived. “We need to retreat. There were too many of them to fight and the beast behind it hasn’t even shown itself yet. Our sisters know their duty, their death will not be in vain.”

So there would be a leader of some kind in charge of this attack. That was a useful piece of information that Revan filed away. After that, he turned to the Amazon he had travelled with, gesturing to her to explain.

“We dig in here. This is a good defensible position and we can hold them here until the main force arrives. The sisters on the other side will give us the time we need to prepare a good defensible position.”

They all had spoken confidently and clearly, each believing that they were right in their plan. 

“All your plans have merit and yet you have missed two important things in each,”

“What's that?” the bronze armoured Amazon asked with a snort.

“None of your plans utilise your strongest assets. Me and Kara. We run, there is no use for us. Sure we could scout and skirmish, but we can't risk letting this threat spread. If you didn’t have me and Kara, staying in this fortification would be what I would suggest due to the strength of your fighting style. However while me and Kara would fight well, we wouldn’t be at our optimal fighting capacity. We both need room to manoeuvre, especially Kara with her flight. And that room is in there,” Revan said pointing at the closed gates. What he didn’t say was that this was the only way that he could see inside the room and know what he was up against. This way they had at least the chance to help those still fighting.

All three stood and looked at him astonished. Obviously the last thing they had been expecting that he would suggest was that they would go on the offensive. One thing that would be a problem was that he wouldn’t be able to lead them. The Amazons simply wouldn’t trust him.

“So you want to follow my plan?” asked the bronze armoured Amazon.

“No, we go on the offensive,” summarised Revan

“You would have us suicide charge the enemy even though you have no idea what you’re up against. You’re insane,” the Amazon in the silver armour accused, looking at him like he had turned into a wookie. It was time for a more direct approach. Most of the other Amazons had reconvened in the courtyard, curious as to what their leaders were talking to Revan about. 

“Unlike you, I have faith in myself and the warriors I see around me. I’m not asking you to trust me, I’m asking you to save your fellow sisters. After that, if you want to retreat then fine, do so. But I believe that we can take the fight to them. The enemy probably has not fought a Kryptonian and they definitely haven't fought someone like me before. Your people are counting on us all, and we will not fail them,” Revan said sincerely, speaking loudly so all would hear. Around him, he felt the Amazons’ emotions stirred by his speech. Some were driven by the need to save their sisters on the other side of the gates. Others wanted to make the Amazons proud and do their duty while some just wanted to fight already. In the end it didn’t matter what they fought for, as long as they fought.

The three Amazons in front of him fell into a hushed conversation which he wasn’t part of. It didn’t bother him, he had done his part. He just hoped that not too many lives would be lost while they decided what to do. He felt a certain pair of Kryptonian eyes on him, and turned to meet her gaze. She stared at him, a mix of confusion and awe on her face. 

Revan made his way back over to her, nodding as he approached.

“That speech was quite impressive. I never had you down as an orator,” Kara jested, trying to hide both her shock and anxiety.

Revan just shrugged before leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. “What would you have done?” he asked curiously, his head cocked to one side.

“I… I would have gone through the gates and assessed the situation. If it looked bad I would have rescued as many as I could before retreating. If not then I would have fought,”

Revan nodded, a smile on the edge of his lips.

“Good, though you would need more of a plan then just ‘fight’ though,” he replied in a teasing tone. It was to help her relax. That's what he told himself anyway.

“I know that. What's your plan then?” Kara huffed, crossing her arms.

"There are too many unknowns until I can see what's in there."

"That's the same as my plan!"

"Not exactly. I will take the initiative. There can be no hesitation," he said, staring at the Amzonian leaders.

"There doing what they think is right."

"And every second someone pays for that on the other side of door. Sure, there is no right answer, but indecision like this is how more people die than necessary."

Kara remained silent after that.

Revan watched as the Amazonian leaders finally came to a decision, sending those close by to fetch the others. 

“What were you going to say before they called me over?” Revan asked, doing one final equipment check as everyone readied themselves.

“Oh, oh yeah. The two Amazons I spoke to told me we should have another group of reinforcements coming before the main group arrives. They are coming from the first fortification we flew over,” Kara said, pointing to two Amazons who nodded in reply.

“I didn’t see much,” Revan grumbled, looking away as he rubbed his stomach at the thought. Still, she had been gathering information. Perhaps she was learning more than just fighting from him.

A strange noise emanated from Kara then, one he hadn’t heard before. 

She laughed.

It was a joyous sound, one that he would have never expected now of all times.

He turned back to look at her with a frown and saw her still smiling but trying to compose herself. 

“Sorry, just your face when we were flying. You’re so serious all the time and then… in the air… you making this face I never thought that you could make. I’ve never seen someone so scared. I think you were trembling,” she said as she continued to laugh, holding her stomach. Through the bond, all Revan felt was shining happiness which he had only felt fleetingly in Kara before.

Compared to Kara, Revan really didn’t find it all that funny. If she ever tried to do something like that again he would be ready for her. Though he was glad that she wasn’t feeling the nerves for the upcoming battle as much anymore. Looking around, he saw that other Amazons were smiling at Kara’s laughter. Whether she knew it or not, Kara had just helped a lot of them.

“Glad someone is having a good time,” said the Amazon in the gold armour that they had met on the path, coming over to them while removing her helmet. She had tanned skin and a thick mane of jet black hair flowing down her back. Again, like most Amazons, she had a few scars dotted over her face. The look on it reminded Revan a lot of Meetra before a battle, and he felt a pang in his chest.

Kara quickly sobered up and scowled at the Amazon but didn’t say anything.

“Care to share?” the Amazon asked, “I could use a laugh before this.”

Kara’s eyes lit up.

_ ‘Don't you dare,’ _ Revan said quickly over the bond, glaring at her.

“I’ll tell you after,” Kara said, smirking at Revan’s discomfort as he pushed himself off the wall.

“I’ll hold you to that,” the Amazon said seriously, regarding the irritated form of Revan with a glint in her eye.

“When are we going in?” he asked, changing the subject.

“One minute,” the Amazon replied, drawing her sword.

“The plan?”

“We will go in first in a phalanx formation and assess the battlefield. From there I’ll assign the different squads to help the survivors and to hold certain positions.”

“Good, me and Kara will assist when needed,”

“You will…”

Revan stepped towards her challenging her. He would not accept whatever she was about to say. He knew the strengths of both him and Kara better than anyone else.

“Me and Kara will do as I say, because that is the best for everyone. You need to focus on assessing the battlefield and allocating your resources. If there is anything we need to know, then let us know. Other than that, let us do our work.”

The Amazon gritted her teeth and looked evenly at the man. Revan really had to applaud the Amazons’ psyche, they were not intimidated by anyone.

“Fine, but if one of you gets hurt or becomes a liability, I will drag you out of there myself. Are we clear?”

Revan nodded, though he was suspicious of that statement. Obviously she had orders to protect them. That piqued Revan’s interest immensely. Though he had to remain on the task at hand. He decided to get some information instead. “What is the landscape on the other side of the door?” 

“One massive flat open area with hardly any cover or defences. The ground there is tainted by the dead, so to build anything on it is to spread its vile corruption.”

Revan nodded, though he did wonder if there would be any Amazons left by the time they went through. If there were no defences and no fortifications, then how would the soldiers have survived there that long?

“It is time,” and with that she donned her helmet and went to the front of the phalanx formation. Beside her, he saw the brutish Amazon with the spear barking orders, and the silver armoured Amazon offering a prayer to whoever was listening. The Amazons then formed a formation of five by ten, as they couldn't fit anymore through the narrow gates.

As Revan watched them form up, the darkness gnawed at him. A battle, a large one if he guessed correctly. He would have to be incredibly careful as this was the time that the Amazons or Kara would strike. It would tear him apart if Kara tried something, but he had to be ready for it. He would not be caught off guard like he had been before. 

Revan decided that he and Kara would wait until the Amazons were through before advancing themselves. After them, two Amazons who they had travelled with stayed behind, ready to close the gates behind them and to then inform the other reinforcements of their plans.

Revan prepared himself as well, meditating on that darkness within him, calling on its power.

After this battle, he promised himself that he would find the deities of this island and force them to answer him. He would make sure Kara would survive this as well, if she didn’t betray him. Both of these things he swore he would see through.

As the Amazonian leader started to give a small speech, trying to inspire the troops, Revan suddenly noticed Kara’s anxiety through the bond. He couldn't blame her. It had been a long wait and now it was finally happening. Looking at her, he saw that her hands were trembling a little, so slight but Revan noticed all the same. Plus he could see that fear was starting to creep back into her eyes again. If she went into the battle like that she would only get herself or others hurt.

“Kara, kneel,” he commanded as he knelt himself. 

She did as he commanded and sat on her knees to the left of him. 

“Block everything out. The Amazons, the wind, even me. Just listen to your breathing,” as Revan slowly created a sound distortion around them.

Through the bond, he felt Kara’s tension ease a little, though it was still there.

“How do you remain so calm?” Kara asked him nervously.

“The trick is to always picture what you’re going to do after the battle. Promise yourself that you are going to do that, and don’t ever lose sight of that. That is the lightsaber which you beat back death with.” 

“A lightsaber?”

Revan huffed, “I’ll explain another time.” Kara and her questions. He started to see doubts creep into her mind as the big black doors stopped glowing.

“What if I’m not strong enough?” Kara stuttered, her hands trembling in her lap.

Slowly the doors began to creak and open. The ground around shook as if the island itself was moving.

“Tell me, what does that symbol on your chest represent?”

A dark light swept over the Amazons and then the two of them as the doors ground to a halt.

“House of El,” Kara replied. Revan sensed a confusion starting to emanate from her.

With a roar that Revan only sensed, the Amazons advanced out of the doors into the cavernous room beyond.

“And what does it stand for?” he said, standing up and readying himself, the force swirling around him. Power danced at his fingertips. It had been too long.

All the Amazons had filed out now and he felt the thunder of battle ahead.

“Hope,” Kara answered, understanding him. She stood up beside him, her eyes burning with determination. "It stands for hope."

Together, they strode through the obsidian gates into Revan’s favourite hell,

Battle.


	12. Nightmares in the Flesh

**Kara**

_ “Now, onto a large scale engagement. It can happen at any time, anywhere. There can be no warning, or you could be the one attacking. Either way, it does not matter. There will be too much happening, sounds which you have never heard before and feelings you’ve never felt before. It will be even worse for you, due to your enhanced senses.” _

Revan had been right when she had asked him what to do in a large scale engagement. Chaos seemed to reign in front of her in the biggest room she had ever seen, bigger than the Queen’s royal throne room. The area was like a sinkhole, about twenty stories below the surface. Carved into the black stone around the chamber were stories from long ago, kept eternal by the unyielding rock. Above them, Kara could see the afternoon sky, though it looked so far away. A ripple across the surface caught her attention, there seemed to be a barrier in place to stop anyone from getting in or out. There was so much happening. Swords clashing. Screams and cries. Undead living. Undead fighting.

_ “What you do will determine if you and those around you will live or die. Every second you hesitate is an increase in advantage to the opposition. The best advice I can give you is to keep it simple. Take everything one step at a time. Prioritise your objectives.” _

Kara shook herself, trying to calm down and get a grip on her senses. Everything was so loud, so real. It reminded her of the rush hours on Krypton, people everywhere, all doing different things and all going different ways.

_ “First, target the ones who are attacking you. Take out the most dangerous first. With some luck the lesser opponents will lose heart.” _

Kara doubted that advice would help against the undead. Looking around, she saw there were no enemies near them. The Amazons had drawn the attention of most of the monsters in the room to the centre, where they were slowly closing the distance between them and a stranded group of Amazons. Archers stayed at the back and picked off any undead that tried to push round the sides. Lone Amazons who had survived flocked to their reinforcements, finding heart at their comrades’ arrival.

_ “Next, look around to see if anyone needs any help, though only help them if they really need it. You must trust those around you to do their part, otherwise you will become bogged down trying to protect everyone. However, do not rely on them to protect you, but trust them to at least handle themselves.” _

Kara scanned the room and saw there were four groups of Amazons dotted around the edge, each with about four to eight warriors with different degrees of injuries. But who should she help first? 

The two bigger groups on the left seemed to be holding their own, and so her choice was between a group four and a group of five on the right hand side.

A shuddering behind her caught her attention.

The doors began to close. She had taken too long and now the others would pay for it. Hesitation, her hesitation, now meant that the wounded would not be able to leave the room for safe treatment.

_ ‘Kara,’ _Revan’s voice rang clearly in her head. 

She looked to her right and saw him motionless, though his eyes were scanning the battlefield continuously.

_ ‘Get the group of four and bring them here and then do that with the five. Get the most wounded first,’ _he instructed, pointing at the two groups.

Kara was still frozen before she nodded, about to ask what he was going to do.

_ ‘Go!’ _Revan thundered, drawing the two knives from his chest piece, the door about a quarter of the way closed already.

Kara swallowed and quickly took off, zipping through the air towards the group of four. As she flew, she saw a few of the monsters stop attacking the main Amazon position and peel off towards Revan and the gate. They looked to be some kind of dog, though they left a black mist trailing in their wake. Their heads were covered in horrific scars which only added to their demented look. Their mouths were a ghastly sight, with menacing teeth all pointing in different directions, spilling out of their mouths like hellish overstuffed pencil cases. 

She hesitated for a second, unsure of what to do. Did she help Revan or should she help the wounded Amazons?

_ ‘Don’t worry about the undead, I’ll make sure they won't get through,’ _Revan said. Kara realised that he must have sensed her hesitation through the bond.

A cry louder than most caught her attention from the smaller group to the right. She whipped her around to see two skeletal looking warriors bearing down upon a spear wielding Amazon who had managed to become isolated with her back to the dark stoneface. They looked like something out of a nightmare; a soulless black skull and blackened bone were all they were made of. They held crude weapons, each primal and wicked its own way.

Despite the fear that they instilled within her, she charged the two skeletons. Within a couple of seconds she was upon them.

As she landed, Kara launched her body into the undead on the right, throwing it into the wall just a hair's breadth away from the injured Amazon. Kara was so pleased with the result of the disintegrated undead plastered to the wall that she had completely forgotten about the other skeletal warrior, which tuned to attack its new foe.

The undead was quicker that Kara had thought, and she winced as the blade connected to her arm. Yet it didn’t hurt. She watched as the blade bounced off of her. A spearhead suddenly exploded through the back of the skeleton skull, causing the rest of the skeleton to crumble to dust.

Kara chided herself for losing focus so easily.

“Thanks, though I had it under control, Kryptonian,” the Amazon said with a small smile, before she rushed to join the other three Amazons. Kara wondered how she was going to help them get to the main force. Two of them fought out in front while the other one was clutching a bloody stomach. The one she had just rescued entered the fray with her comrades with a roar of determination. 

With the undead being pushed back for the moment, Kara saw that the one lying on the ground was losing a lot of blood, and so decided that she would be the first to be taken back. Quickly, she ran over to the Amazon, hoisted her into her arms, and flew back to Revan. 

Over the battlefield, she saw that the fighting was everywhere. The beasts stalked the edges of the battlefield, trying to pick off any warrior that had been driven from her comrades. Swords clashed and Amazons and undead were falling alike. She couldn’t stop the cries of those falling from reaching her ears. They were so loud, so desperate. A true hero would be able to save them all, not just be a spectator as they fell.

_ “One of the toughest opponents on the battlefield is distraction. It will come in all forms, with no rhyme or reason. Some will be allies, some will be enemies, while others will be the environment or a new situation. One of the hardest things to do is to decide which is the most important. Never ignore them, but do not act without thought. Only you can weigh the merits of both. Only you can make the decision. There is no right or wrong answer. But do not hesitate once you have made your decision, this will only cause you to lose more allies and friends.” _

Within a few seconds she was beside Revan, who looked as if he hadn’t moved since she had last left him. Yet, the disintegrated forms of the beasts were evidence of the contrary. In one of his hands, the blade was slick with a black substance from the beast he had killed. Still, his eyes scanned the battlefield, always watching and always analysing. She put the Amazon down carefully to avoid causing her any pain.

_ ‘Go, I'll do what I can for her,’ _ Revan said, kneeling down to the Amazon who tried to shove him weakly away. Revan just rolled his eyes at the protests, before whispering to the Amazon. Kara watched, surprised at Revan’s tender tone. His hands then lit up in the white light she had seen when she had burned him with the heat vision, before he pressed them to the open wound on the stomach of the Amazon.

_ ‘We’re running out of time. Get the others,’ _he ordered, glancing to the doors which were nearly halfway closed.

Kara shot off again, this time though she ploughed straight through the undead that she came across. She soon arrived, hovering over the three remaining Amazons who were fighting six undead. They seemed to be rotating, with two at the front doing most of the fighting while the other one guarded their rear. If she took one back, there was a risk that the other two would become overwhelmed. It seemed that her arrival had also attracted a large group of undead who were making their way over to her. There was no way that three Amazon’s, let alone two would be able to hold their own, against all of the undead.

Her powers itched to be used, but there were other Amazons fighting on the other side of the dead that were trying to get to the Amazons she was with. While they were there, they were liable to be hit in the crossfire, both with her heat vision and her ice breath.

_ “Remember, while your powers are powerful against any enemies, they are also powerful against your own allies. Take care not to cause any harm to them. Sacrificing the lives of those who have trusted themselves to you, whether they have willingly trusted you or not, is the absolute last option. It will only make the survivors distrust you at best and hate you at worst.” _

She could just grab one and be as quick as she could. Or she could stomp the ground...

_ ‘Kara, on my signal, grab the two Amazons closest to the undead and bring them back here,’ _Revan said over the bond. She had never been so thankful as to hear his voice before. He seemed so calm and confident, even in a chaotic situation such as this. Through the bond, she felt his calmness and focus, never once being distracted or feeling fear. The longer she looked into the bond, the more that feeling settled within her.

_ ‘Now!’ _

The world seemed to freeze to her as both Amazons and undead struggled to move. 

“What in Hera?” one of the Amazons struggled to say, her face contorted in effort. 

Refilled with a new found focus, Kara flew to the two at the front, grabbing both their arms before shooting off into the sky. The first couple of metres above the ground felt as if she was flying underwater, yet as she rose higher, that feeling drifted away. Zooming across the sky, she noticed that the area she had just been in had everything frozen inside of it. The Amazons cursed and swore at her as they shot through the air.

Within a few seconds, Kara landed next to Revan who had his hands extended and dropped the two raging Amazons before him. She didn’t need Revan to tell her what to do next. Once again, she shot into the air, Though this time she noticed that the group that had been heading towards her was heading towards Revan. 

This time though, she didn't hesitate, instead she ignored them and descended to where the last Amazon was. Just as she touched down, the world around her unfroze. The undead advanced on her and the Amazon. She suddenly realised that the group that she had seen trying to reach their comrades had retreated. With no more possibility of friendly fire, she smirked, and exhaled her chilling breath. 

Ice encased everything in front of her, entombing the six undead, their faces looked just as creepy even in their icy graves. Their empty sockets still managed to intimidate her from behind the icy facade.

“Wow,” the Amazon said, drawing Kara’s attention back to her. She was heavily bleeding on one arm and had a nasty gash on her leg. “Thanks for…” the Amazon didn’t get a chance to finish as Kara grabbed her and shot off into the air, leaving the undead to their icy prisons.

The Amazon was oddly quiet as they soared through the air towards the doors. The battlefield itself had seemed to have balanced out. By the gate through which they had entered, Revan stood with two of the Amazons that Kara had just rescued, both standing either side of him, panting from exertion. Around them, the group that had pushed towards them were nothing but dust on the ground.

From her viewpoint above the battlefield, she saw that the main Amazon force seemed to be holding the undead advance in the centre, though they were taking some casualties. The left side, which was where the larger two groups were trapped, had a few monsters and a few undead fighting them though they seemed to be holding their own.

Twisting her head, Kara saw that the right side was another story however. There was only one group remaining on that side, and they were pinned to the room’s rocky wall. Now there was a massive hole in the front line leaving it completely exposed. Even now, a few of the monsters were starting to drift over to that side. If they got round, the middle and the left sides would be flanked and they would have a direct path to the gates. Kara knew that they couldn’t let that happen.

“The right side, its…” Kara tried to explain as she landed, putting the Amazon on the floor. 

“I know,” replied Revan, kneeling down and checking the Amazon over. He felt under her neck and checked the Amazon’s wounds.

“She’s unconscious,” Revan stated, looking up to Kara.

“Is she?” Kara asked, surprised, looking down at the lifeless body. Now the Amazon’s quietness made sense.

“You really shouldn’t fly so fast. I barely kept conscious myself,” one of the Amazons mumbled from behind them.

Revan’s hand pulsed in a clear light, which proceeded to transfer to the body of the Amazon. The Amazon’s body was then lifted into the air, and then gently placed on the other side of the gates which were nearly three quarters closed.

“You two, guard the gate until it closes. Kara, retrieve the seriously injured and put them beside the gate. It is imperative that you do not place them in front of it. Once the doors have closed, support the left flank.” Revan instructed, before he began moving towards the right.

“You’re not in charge of us,” one of the Amazons said with confusion, looking between Revan and Kara.

Kara watched Revan flex his hands, and felt the spike of anger through the bond.

“If you want to win this battle, you’ll do as I say,” Revan snarled, before he force-sprinted off to the right side.

That left Kara with the two confounded Amazons. 

“Who is he to give us orders?” asked the angered Amazon, looking at her.

Kara couldn’t wait any longer, “Just… I don’t know,” she shouted, losing her composure.

The Amazons looked at her stunned, but Kara couldn’t hesitate. Even now, the gates were closing ever more.

She darted to the front lines, scanning for any Amazons that were seriously injured on the way. As she did, a familiar red armour caught her eye, but she ignored it, focusing on finding the wounded.

Fortunately, the Amazons had dragged the injured to just behind their front line. 

The sight nearly made her sick. 

While most of them had savage cuts or multiple wounds and were suffering from a loss of blood, a few of them had missing limbs. There were a few blood soaked healers moving between them but not enough for all of them. Blood covered the floor around her. Looking down, it was all over her boots and even a bit on her skirt. Panicking, she tried to wipe it off. Try as she might, she only ended up making it worse. She noticed that her hands were red. Turning them over, they were coated in blood.

Her eyes widened. 

Blood. 

The smell. 

Scrubbing wasn’t removing it. 

Why was it not coming off?

All she could hear around her was dying bodies, screams of pain and final words never said. 

Her muscles wouldn’t move, forcing her to take in the suffering around her. 

The temperature around her felt ice cold, sending chills throughout her body.

So this was what death looked like, Kara thought numbly. 

_ ‘Kara,’ _

A voice said from far away. 

Everything moved in slow motion around her. 

There was someone shouting at her, a woman maybe, but Kara couldn’t hear her.

Another scream and another and another and another.

_ ‘Kara, snap out of it,’ _

It was getting louder. 

Who was it? 

She recognised it. 

But the blood, there was so much.

And the noise, all of the ringing steel and sounds of exhaustion.

The death, so much death.

_ ‘KARA!’ _

_ ‘Huh?’ _

_ ‘My voice, listen to it,’ _

That voice… Revan.

_ ‘Revan?’ _Kara said in her jumbled up mind.

_ ‘Thank the force. Listen, don't look, don't feel, just act. Get those injured to the gate, now!’ _Revan ordered, and a sudden strength flowed through her body.

Kara leapt into action, going faster than she ever had before, zipping to and fro from the front line to the gate. She did not look at their injuries, nor did she listen to their screams and pained gasps as they were transported to the back. This time she dropped them off inside the gate, not wasting any time and so they could be as safe as possible. Even now, some undead were slipping through the front lines. On the fifth one, one of the healers asked her to take them with her to heal those injured. Kara gladly accepted, wondering if Revan had forgotten about that certain problem. 

Twenty. That was how many she got to the gate. Eight of them were taken through the gate by either Kara or one of the Amazons she had brought back. Two of them, even though they were bleeding badly, refused to head back through. Kara thought about trying to force them to go through.

Silence hit her like a spaceship. The cavern had stopped shaking.

It was too late.

The gates were finally closed. 

The blue magic flickered to life across them, starting where the gates met the rocks and meeting in the middle. Kara could feel the door radiating power from where she stood.

There was no retreat now.

_ ‘Continue gathering the injured and put them beside the gate,’ _ Revan commanded _ . _She wondered how he kept the awareness around him to focus on what she was doing. She looked over to the left flank and it didn’t look good. They were down a couple of Amazons, some wounded, others…

_ ‘Focus,’ _ lectured Revan over the bond. 

_ ‘Sorry, but how do you…’ _

_ ‘The bond. I can feel your emotions and they impact mine as well. It makes it hard for me to concentrate.’ _

_ ‘Oh. Sorry. What you said about the left flank, it’s…’ _

_ ‘The left flank is holding for now, go retrieve the rest of the injured,’ _Revan ordered, his voice leaving no room for debate.

Kara reluctantly flew back to the front line, this time checking on Revan’s position as well. He was currently in the middle of a mob of undead, cutting them down with ease. Revan and the Amazons had managed to push past the front line, fighting a steady stream of the undead that were coming from the gate at the far side of the room. Surely pushing out past the front endangered them to being surrounded, thought Kara. Yet, she didn’t think that Revan would make such an obvious mistake.

Over the next few minutes, she flew to and from the little camp, ferrying the injured and the healers there. She didn’t fly as fast this time, making sure that her passengers remained conscious throughout the flight. 

During this time, her once bright and new suit was covered in dirt, grit and blood. It made her queasy to think about it, but she remained focused and resolute in her task knowing that if she lost her head again it would mean more suffering and maybe even death for those around her.

The camp that had been hastily assembled had about forty injured being tended to by the healers, with a small contingent of guards to pick off any undead that made their way to them. They made beds with discarded tunics and pillows with shields. While it wasn’t a Kryptonian hospital, it was better than where they had been originally. A little way from them, the doors still glowed though not as brightly as it had when they had first arrived. Kara wasn’t sure what it meant, but guessed it wasn’t good. 

After relocating the last of the injured Amazons, there appeared to be more guards than there had been before. 

Wait, she recognised them as the warriors from the right flank which meant…

Looking over there, Revan was standing alone, having just dispatched the last of the undead for now.

“What do you mean I ordered you to regroup here, I have done no such thing!” one of the Amazons roared at the leader of the right flank.

“Revan told us that you ordered us to protect the injured while he holds the right flank on his own,” reported the Amazon, not seemingly bothered that she had left just one man holding an entire side.

“How is one man going to hold a flank on his own?” the commander fumed.

“Have you seen that man fight? He is no ordinary man,” another warrior replied, disbelief evident on her features.

“We all saw him in the arena. No one is denying that he is a capable warrior, but even Princess Diana would struggle with a zone that big to defend,” shouted the Amazon in charge of the camp.

Just then a huge wave of undead came pouring out of the cave at the far end of the cavern, all heading for the right flank… heading straight for Revan.

“Hera protect us,”

_ ‘Revan, you need to retreat. There’s too many of them…’ _

_ ‘I take it you've finished gathering the wounded?’ _

_ ‘What? Yes. Don’t change…’ _

_ ‘Good, tell them that half of the fighting Amazons need to go and support the left flank while the rest protect the injured.’ _

_ ‘What about the right flank, what about you?’ _

_ ‘People will only get in my way.’ _

_ ‘You’re mad.’ _

_ ‘Just tell them.’ _

Kara took a deep breath, not knowing whether she should say something or not. In the end, she didn’t see that she had a choice. It was that or throw whatever Revan’s plan was into jeopardy. 

“Revan said for half of the fighting capable Amazons to go and support the left flank while the rest protect the injured,” Kara said to the Amazon in charge. The woman looked at her stunned, looking to and from Kara and Revan on the other side of the battlefield.

Every second the horde got closer and closer to Revan.

“If you can communicate with him then order him…”

“He won’t. He is too stubborn,” Kara said tiredly. Sometimes she wondered if Revan was secretly a Kryptonain.

“A fool, a madman and a fool,” the Amazon muttered.

The Amazons all stood and watched, waiting for the undead to descend upon the lone figure.

“Myrina, take half of the warriors and support the left flank,” the Amazon ordered, drawing all the warriors’ attention to her. Kara did not even bother to look at the Amazons as she focused solely on the right flank. She barely heard them as they left to go and aid their comrades. 

_ ‘Go and support the left and centre positions,’ _ Revan instructed through the bond, startling her. He stood there unmoving as a literal tide of death rolled towards him.

_ ‘What, no. Are you serious?’ _

_ ‘Kara, they need you more than I do. Now go.’ _

Yet Kara couldn’t. She was transfixed by the sight in front of her. 

Surely Revan wasn’t going to fight the entire horde on his own.? Kara thought. There were at least a hundred of them, all heading towards the exposed Amazonian flank.

Revan stepped forward then, and the bond felt like it did when he was about to use the force. He extended his hands out in front of him, eyes closed, and his hands wrapped around an object that Kara couldn’t see. 

“What is he doing?” asked the Amazonian leader as she made her way to Kara.

The air seemed to ripple around him, and when he drew his arms apart, to her shock, all his knives became unsheathed. They hovered in the air, coming to hang above him, each pointing menacingly towards its quickly approaching prey.

Revan readied himself, his fists coming up in a fighting posture in front of him.

“What is he doing?” the Amazon questioned again, squinting to see what was going on and unknowingly voicing Kara’s own thoughts. 

Revan’s eyes snapped open.

Kara couldn’t even find the words to describe it as Revan launched himself at the tide of undead. He crashed into the front wave of the undead, dispatching two with his punches, which to her amazement were strong enough to break the skulls of the undead. 

Yet, this wasn’t what left Kara speechless. His knives danced and sang in the air around him and for a second Kara felt the one attached to her waist shake in its sheath, wanting to join its fellow comrades. Yet, it quietened down as quickly as it had begun.

Two of the knives seemed to be protecting Revan’s back, only cutting down those that attacked him while the other two leapt from foe to foe, leaving a string of dissolved undead in their destructive wake. Revan himself mainly dodged and countered with his attacks, letting the knives do most of the work. He was untouchable to his foes, just out of reach of them but always within striking distance for him.

“That… I… go and support the other flanks. I’ll take care of any stragglers,” the Amazonian ordered her, her eyes wide in disbelief. “If there are any,” Kara heard another of the Amazons mumble as she took off.

Kara soared into the air and watched the battle unfold from above to see where she was needed. Yet it became apparent to her that both the left and centre were holding. The left was hardly being pushed, with only a small group of undead attacking that side. She even saw some of them peel away from the left and centre and head over to Revan’s side. It started to make sense now to her, that Revan had weakened the right flank to draw them all in. 

Something bothered her about the placement of the injured though. Surely the safest place for them would have been further to the left, away from the exposed flank. Even now, a few undead slipped through Revan’s deadly whirlwind of blades, leaving a smaller than needed distance between the injured and the dead. The Amazons were dealing with them easily, usually outnumbering those who did get to them.

_ ‘Kara, what are you doing?’ _Revan’s voice echoed in her head as he disturbed her thoughts.

_ ‘You’re in the middle of a fight, in which you are nearly overwhelmed and you still know what I’m doing?’ _Kara asked as she watched Revan not even hesitate or slow down his attacks as he responded.

_ ‘One must always be aware of everything around you, lest you be taken by surprise. As a leader, I must know what my allies are doing. And I’m not overwhelmed,’ _Revan answered clearly, dispatching another ten undead as his knives swirled around him.

Kara shook her head in disbelief. Sure, she had known he was a powerful and capable warrior, but this was something else. The finesse in which he managed to control the knives while he dodged and attacked with his own body was a sight in itself, let alone the fact he was able to hold a conversation with her at the same time.

She had underestimated him.

_ ‘What did I say about when you have no clear objective?’ _Revan asked.

Kara remembered Revan’s last piece of advice to her.

_ “And finally, if there is no one attacking you and no one to help, look for targets yourself. Due to your powers, you can become a beacon of hope on the battlefield, but that will also make you a target. Save your more elaborate abilities for when there are no other options. And when that time comes, show them what you can do.” _

_ ‘Let me know if you need any help,’ _ said Kara as she descended into the chaos of battle once more.

_ ‘I won’t. Focus on what you’re supposed to do. Do not interfere with the right side.’ _

_ ‘Eurgh whatever,’ _ Kara shot back. Frustrated by his dismissal, she smashed into the lines of undead in the centre of the battlefield, just in front of the Amazonian line. As she landed, she sent a larger shock wave than she intended, instantly destroying those unfortunate enough to be stood within a small area around her. After the dust had settled, the undead near her all turned to her. A few of the Amazons moved out of their defensive formation to assist Kara, dispatching those to the left and right of her. With her allies covering her, she unleashed her heat vision in a devastating wave, demolishing all of the undead in an arc in front of her. The air seemed to sizzle around her as she finished, charged with the energy she had just released.

There was an odd peace then. 

Like she could finally take a breath.

Yet that was crushed by the undead that approached, replacing those that had fallen, each as dauntless and single minded as the last. At the behest of the Amazons, Kara fell back to the main line and stood a little in front of them. She unleashed another arc of her heat vision, wiping another twenty undead off the face of this planet before charging into the oncoming horde.

Kara didn’t know how long she fought for. It could have been thirty seconds, or it could have been thirty minutes. Everything was so claustrophobic. Every time she smashed one of the undead to pieces, another immediately took its place. Their rusted blades, when they did connect, bounced harmlessly off her suit. The longer she fought, the more confident she felt. Every punch, every kick, led to a feeling that she had never experienced before. 

She felt powerful.

Gone was the fear from earlier. 

She was a Kryptonian, 

Kara Zor-El of Krypton.

Finally, the last of the undead dropped into dust, allowing her to catch her breath. She noticed as she looked at the ground around her that there was a concentration of undead remains near her. Looking up the Amazonian line to the left and right, she saw that the further she looked, the less remains of the undead there were. There was no reason for them to be concentrated around the centre, it was the most defended area. On the left side they were finishing off the last of the undead. Again, there was nowhere near as many undead remains as there was around the centre.

It didn’t make any sense. A feeling of fear suddenly clenched inside her. The attacks had a pattern to it. They had been trying to achieve something but she couldn’t see what it was. 

“Ainippe, are you seeing this too?” Kara heard one of the Amazons ask another behind her. She turned around and saw that they were looking to the right side.

The knives were now spinning in a large circle, turning the right side into a giant arena. The undead that ignored Revan were instantly cut down by the knives as they tried to leave the circle. While that was good, the sheer amount of undead inside the area was probably more than had attacked the centre and left sides combined. 

And in the middle of it all was Revan. 

_ ‘Revan,’ _ she called, but she received no reply.

Using her enhanced vision, she managed to see Revan cutting his way through the horde, though she noticed that his movement was a little slower than before. However, his movements were still fluid and held an otherworldly agility to them. What worried her was that she could see red on his armour and his face. Knowing that he would never admit if he was hurt or needed help, Kara readied herself to take off.

A hand gripped her arm before she could, seeing a rather disapproving look from the Amazonian leader with the gold armour.

“If he hasn’t said anything, leave him to it. I’ve seen many a warrior in my time, I know the competent from the inept,” the Amazonain lectured, keeping a firm grip on her arm. 

“Let me go,” Kara growled, staring at the Amazon with fury burning in her eyes.

“Trust him,” the Amazonian shouted, startling Kara. “We have chosen to, so why can’t you?”

She did, damn it all, she did trust him.

But the Queen’s words rang in her head.

“He is just one man. Even a Kryptonian couldn’t handle all of them. I can’t let him die,” Kara said, shaking off the Amazonian’s grip. 

“Kara, don’t…,” the Amazon tried to stop her, but Kara had already taken off, rocketing into the air.

She landed in the middle of the arena, instantly crushing those that were in her immediate vicinity.

As soon as she landed, Revan’s voice boomed in her head _ ‘What are you doing?’ _

She winced at how loud he was. Anger flooded the bond, hot and red. 

_ ‘You need help, you’re just too stubborn to ask for it,’ _responded Kara, dispatching another group of undead with a few quick punches.

_ ‘There is more at play here than the here and now. I wasn’t struggling to dispatch them, I was waiting,’ _he snarled. His anger seemed to drive the knives into a frenzy. They left the edges of the arena and began cutting inwards with brutal efficiency. 

_ ‘Waiting for what?’ _Kara asked, moving to the centre of the former circle, not wanting to be in the path of the knives.

She felt someone behind her then, yet she felt no danger. Quickly glancing, she saw that his black armour and robe were covered in dirt and grime like hers were. A thin red line of blood trickled from his forehead down the right side of his face. If he was pained by it, he didn’t show it.

All around them the undead turned towards them, seeing them both in the same spot. There was a moment when neither side moved, the only sounds she could hear were her and Revan’s breathing and the song of the knives as they continued their deadly melody.

Behind the undead, she heard footsteps, thousands of them. Looking past them, Kara lost the ability to breathe.

There must be over a thousand of them. Death hounds, undead that were the same as they were fighting now and a new type of monster that looked like some kind of ghoul were surging towards them. Their faces still had twisted bits of skin hanging loose and they moved animalistically in a frenzy. It was faster than the normal undead and the ghoul like creature carried two blades from which a grey mist dripped. What scared her the most were the red orbs that were the same colour as all the blood she had seen so far. To her terror, all of the ghouls were heading for her.

Fear took hold of her again. 

She struggled to regain control of her breathing.

The undead surrounding her just watched her and Revan with their lifeless eyes, knowing that they had won.

There was no way they were going to win. 

She was going to die here.

Something bumped into her back, and she remembered that she was with Revan. He couldn’t have seen what was coming but he had a deep frown set on his face. Something about his face reminded her of what he had said to her after a particularly gruelling training session then rang in her mind. He had stopped her on the steps up to their quarters with an unusually serious look on his face.

_ “Whatever you do, never give up. It might sound stupid, but the moment you lose hope is the moment the battle is decided. That is the key moment, the difference between victory and defeat. Life and death. It is a moment of tragedy and a moment for heroism. Never forget that, even in training.” _

Kara hadn’t really understood that when he had said it. How could one ever lose hope? Yet, Revan had been right. 

As the undead watched them, Kara saw that the Amazons had reformed their lines and were now ready and waiting. They held a spear wall out front with swordswomen and archers lined up behind. The archers had already started to fire as Kara could hear the whistles of arrows as they flew through the air. 

The problem that Kara and Revan faced now was that they were isolated from the others with an army around them. While they could fight as they had been, it would take too long to help the Amazons, even with their abilities. They needed a smart way to deal with this. Revan was still, yet through the bond she could feel his mind whirring in thought. Still, he used the knives to cut down the ones at the back of the horde, though even they were a little slower than they had been before.

Her heat vision could only affect one area at once and she couldn’t control the range of it very well. She couldn't use it in too long a burst as it would drain her, because it would use all of the solar energy she had. Plus, she couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t hit some of the Amazons, if the beam went further than she meant it to. While her freeze breath would be useful, it would probably only freeze the ones in the front, leaving the others to just climb over an icy wall.

If only she could somehow control the range of her heat vision like with the ice crystals.

‘That’s it’, thought Kara.

_ ‘Revan, bring the knives to hover in a square around us.’ _

_ ‘Now is not the…’ _

_ ‘Revan. This is the only way we are going to get out of this,’ _Kara said, praying he agreed. 

She wouldn’t be able to do it without him.

Revan hesitated, but then did as she said and brought the knives to hover around them, pointing menacingly at the undead in front of them.

_ ‘Turn them ninety degrees so that the flat of the blades is facing towards us and keep them at equal height to each other.’ _

The blades turned in the air, and levelled out around them. The undead still didn’t move. Off in the distance, Kara heard the roar of the Amazons as they prepared for the rush of the death hounds.

Kara suddenly jumped to the right, firing her heat vision at the blade. She had never seen her beam move so slowly. As the beam hit the first knife, it shot off into the horde. Fortunately, Revan quickly righted the knife, finally understanding what she was doing. The beam carried on on its course, hitting the second and third knife. With one last grunt of effort, Kara put more power into the beam before it could complete the circuit. She then lowered the power before she darted to the side, avoiding being hit by her own beam. 

The beam slowly caught up to itself, and when it did it created a square of red energy around them. The black sockets that the dead had for eyes all filled with the same red glow of the laser that showed what laid in that darkness. 

Nothing.

With a flick of both Revan’s wrists, the blades shot off into the horde.

For an awful, painful second, nothing happened. 

The undead just stared at them, almost looking surprised.

One moment they were there, the next they disappeared into dust. Unfortunately, the beam ran out before finishing the last of them. Revan was on them in seconds however, now having recalled two of the knives to his hands while the other knives finished any others still standing. Kara noted that the knives looked warped, the centres on all of them were bent out of shape. 

After the last of the undead dropped, Revan ran over to her while recalling all his knives to him and sheathing them.

“Get over to the other flanks. They are close to being overrun,”

Revan spoke true as Kara turned to see the Amazonian lines were starting to be pushed back due to the sheer numbers of dead.

“Revan, the ones that are coming are…”

“Are meant for you and I. Why do you think they tried to trap us? They are meant to counter us, to kill us. But they have no idea who they are dealing with. Go, I will deal with them,” Revan said with a look of pure determination on his face. 

Kara wished she had that kind of focus and bravery. Nothing seemed to faze the man in any way, apart from talking. Sometimes, she forgot that there was not much difference in their age. It scared her to think what he had been through to become like this.

“Go,” Revan said with one final order before he charged at the new enemies. 

Kara watched him for a second, before launching up into the air. From above the battle it didn’t look like it was going well. The entire front was being pushed back and the front lines had become a mix of both Amazons and the dead, making it impossible for her to use her abilities to their maximum effect. Something caught her eye and after taking a closer look she saw some of the death hounds had managed to get past the front line and were beelining it towards the makeshift infirmary. 

Making them her top priority, she dived down upon them, full of fury. No undead would get to that camp, she would make sure of it.

‘Why was the undead so interested in the camp?’ she thought as she crushed one underfoot as she landed, before speeding after the other four. They were quick compared to the other undead, but compared to a Kryptonian’s speed, they were nothing. Within ten seconds, the last ones had perished, either being reduced to ash by a quick burst of her heat vision or punched into oblivion. Kara looked to the camp to see the Amazonian guards nod in thanks, before she took off to the front line. 

Through the bond, she could tell that Revan was fine. Yet, she sensed an anger, a red hot rage boiling within him. She could feel it trickle into her, her own anger coming to the front. She hated this, all of this. 

No, now was not the time to lose her head. Her emotions influenced Revan as well. If she lost it, then he would lose control too. 

And something told her that would be an extremely dangerous thing.

As she arrived at the front, the sights she had seen the first time were somehow worse. There was no camp for the injured as there was only a thin line of Amazons and undead all mixed together, blades clashing and arrows singing. Now those that fell laid in that spot dying with no or little chance of help. It didn’t matter that every Amazon killed at least ten or twenty of the undead, there always seemed to be ten more to take their place.

Kara grimaced as she joined the fray, helping any that she could on the way to the front. She wanted to help them all. And she tried. One Amazon was stuck, fighting four of the undead and two of the hounds. Kara charged in, heart thumping in her ears. With one well placed kick to the blindside of one hound and a punch to the skull of the other, Kara took down the hounds, while the undead were dispatched by the Amazon who was able to focus on them. No thanks or goodbye was said as the Amazon disappeared back into the fighting. 

Immediately, Kara turned to be greeted by another Amazonian warrior who was being mauled by a death hound while another dressed in red armour that she had seen earlier was a little further on, struggling to hold off six undead on her own. Panic gripped Kara once again as she had to decide who to help, but quickly decided to aid the one being mauled. Hesitation would only kill more people and she promised to come back for the other one. Darting over to the one underneath the shadowy beast, she kicked the death hound back to the hell it came from, sending it flying into the air. Looking at the Amazon, all she saw was blood.

Bile rose up to her throat as she saw the sacrificial shield that the Amazon had stopped the beast with.

The Amazon’s forearm.

It was bent in so many different ways and blood and...

_ ‘Kara. Stay with me here,’ _ Revan said over the bond, his voice clear through the haze of battle.

Getting herself together, she picked up the Amazon murmuring sorry as the Amazon screamed in agony at the sudden movement of her arm. Kara then flew straight up, up and over the roaring battlefield and landed at the makeshift camp, the ground groaning at her heavy landing. 

She put the Amazon down carefully, not surprised when the Amazon’s pale head lolled back in unconsciousness. There were so many emotions she felt looking down at the dying Amazon. A hero wouldn’t have let this happen. Kal El would have saved her, saved them all.

“Kara,” she jumped as a hand was placed on her shoulder. Spinning round she was met with the commander of the camp. She looked tired, cuts up and down her arms and she was heavily favouring one leg over the other. How could the Amazons and Revan keep fighting like this, even when they looked like they were on the verge of defeat and death. 

“You… find the commander. Get her to order a retreat to the gate. If something… By Hera... if something has happened to her, she’ll have a horn strapped to her belt. Issue th… issue the order to retreat by blowing it,” the Amazon ordered, before she fell to one knee, fighting her failing body. 

Kara stood there, slowly comprehending what the Amazonian wanted of her and so she started nodding. Retreat was the only option. There was no way they could win this.

“Go!” the Amazon thundered, managing to stand. She then made her way to the fighting at the edge of the camp where she saw about six undead attacking.

Six undead.

The other Amazon.

Kara flew faster than she ever had before, hearing a loud bang from behind her. She landed with a crash to where she had been before, sending both undead and Amazons to the ground alike. Fortunately, the Amazons recovered quicker than the undead, and so they used this to their advantage, plunging their chipped and battered weapons into the bodies of their foes.

Kara didn’t care about that in the moment. Up ahead of her, she could see the Amazon fighting the last one of the six. She rushed to help her, but by the time she got there as the battle raged around her, the Amazon managed to best her opponent. Having arrived behind her, Kara felt joy for the first time in a battle as she watched the Amazon stare at the six discarded remains of the undead. 

She recognised that armour.

The Amazon stumbled backwards and didn’t stop. Kara prepared to catch and right her, but something stopped her. 

An obsidian point, sticking out of the back of the Amazon.

The red cloth was thick with blood. 

The red cloth belonged to Raina.

Raina who had been one of the only ones to welcome her, to talk to her.

To treat her as a friend.

Kara caught her before she fell to the floor, lowering her down slowly. The Amazon didn’t say anything, she just looked at Kara and placed her hand over Kara’s.

Raina gave her one final weak smile, 

Then her eyes closed.

Kara felt nothing.

Kara felt everything.

Grief,

_ ‘Kara,’ _

Sadness,

_ ‘Kara, what...’ _

Defeat,

_ ‘Kara, please…’ _

But most of all, 

She felt rage

Hot burning rage.

Ready to explode.

Laying Raina’s body down gently, she stood slowly, her fists perfectly still. 

They had to die.

A quiet voice called to her from far away.

All of them.

That voice was just a background noise now.

They would all pay.

The knife at her hip burned, and so did she.

Drawing it, it felt right.

Wielding it, it felt perfect.

She started with the closest. 

It was easy. The undead didn’t even get a chance to react.

One.

The knife cut through it as if it were made of air.

Then she moved on to the next. 

Two.

Then the next and the next and the next.

Three, four, five.

And so it continued.

Kara cut down any that stood in her way. Whether they be undead, death hound or ghoul. 

They ended up the same.

A smattering of dust on the floor. 

Yet, nothing changed. 

Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.

No matter how many she cut down, there was always more.

Twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty.

The world was frozen around her as she continued her path of destruction.

Forty, forty one, forty two.

For all those that had died.

Fifty two, fifty three, fifty four.

For those still alive.

Seventy one, seventy two, seventy three.

For Raina.

Eighty, eighty one…

A sudden object stopped her in her tracts

A horn, laying on the floor, its owner's bloody hand still grasping it. The gold armour that once shone so brightly, nothing but a coffin for the commander within now.

Kara could still save those that were left. With the area around her clear for the moment, she reached down and pried the horn from the deceased owner’s stiff grip. It felt heavy in her hands, which shouldn’t have been possible. It suddenly occurred to her that Revan wouldn’t be aware of what the horn would signify.

_ ‘Revan, we are going to retreat,’ _ Kara said over the bond in a numb voice.

_ ‘Kara, thank the… What did you say?’ _Revan’s tone changed from relieved to anger in a second.

_ ‘Pull back to the main gate, we’ll reform there,’ _Kara reiterated.

_ ‘Kara, whatever you are about to do, don’t. That is an order!’ _Revan shouted desperately.

_ ‘I can’t let more people die Revan.’ _

_ ‘Kara, listen to me,’ _he ventured.

_ ‘Raina’s dead,’ _Kara said a lone tear trickling down her face.

_ ‘Listen to me...’ _

_ ‘Listening to you is what got these people killed.’ _Kara shouted back, already having made her decision.

_ ‘KARA! You blow that horn then their deaths will be in vain, we are so close…’ _

Kara ignored whatever Revan said next, putting the horn to her lips. With one exhale she would save all those that were left.

No one else would have to die.

**“ENOUGH!” **


	13. Twilight

**Kara**

  
  


**“ENOUGH!”**

A voice roared across the battlefield.

Kara was hit by an invisible force, throwing her to the floor. She laid there for a moment, confused and dazed by the shockwave. Shaking herself from the daze, she quickly sprang to her feet looking for whatever had caused it. Yet, every being near her had also been thrown to the floor, Amazon and undead alike. Scanning the battlefield, at that moment there was only one other being standing.

Revan.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to churn, and the sound of the gates opening filled the cavern.

Kara turned in disbelief to see the blue glow disappear from the doors. 

Their reinforcements were here.

Hope suddenly started to appear within her once again.

She stood there, her horn and knife forgotten in her hands.

Gradually, everyone started getting up around her, though there was something strange about the undead. They weren't getting up of their own accord like the Amazons were. Something was lifting them up. The Amazon’s looked as confused as Kara was, some killing the undead as they rose while others just stood and watched the undead rise higher and higher.

Through the bond, she felt something she had never felt before. It was a void, and an all consuming, burning rage. Yet, it was directed. 

Turning to look, Revan was standing on the right side, his dark eyes glinting with golden flecks. His arms were bent, as if he was lifting something heavy. Yet when they rose, the undead rose with them.

The cavern shook with the widening of the doors, and Kara heard a chant from the first Amazons who came charging out. Kara felt numb as she turned to regard their puzzled expressions, as the undead were lifted from the ground around them. There must have been over a thousand, all rising as one. They rose ever so slowly. Furthermore, they appeared to be immobilised in an invisible prison, none of them being able to move or even struggle.

Focusing back on Revan, she watched as his arms continued to rise while his hands inched closer and closer to closing.

“I have played your game,” Revan boomed, causing every Amazon to look at him with wide eyes.

Higher and higher the undead rose.

“And you have proved your ineptitude.”

Closer and closer until his hands closed.

“Now face me yourself, you COWARD!” 

His hands snapped shut. 

Every single undead in the cavern was crushed with a sickening snap which even drowned out the opening of the doors.

For the first time since she had met him, Kara was truly in awe of him. This was what he was truly capable of. This was Revan the conqueror, the one who had made the mighty Kryptonians bow. His chest heaved in exertion, but his eyes were more alive than Kara had ever seen. Around him lay the remains of what must have been the majority of the ghoulish creatures. A grey mist ascended from the bodies surrounding him, making him look like a demon on the battlefield.

Though she knew that she should be truly afraid of his power, standing there, he looked truly alone. 

Slowly the numbness ebbed away. It was replaced with a sense of loss and pity.

This was his world, his reality.

It was death.

She felt so alone and out of place here.

Kara felt her heart clench and decided that she had to go over to him. How he stood in the light, his youth showing, it reminded her that he was maybe the only one who knew how she felt. 

And how she could stop feeling these emotions.

Steadily, she began the long walk over to him.

All of the Amazons were silent as she passed them. They watched Revan, with his hands clasped in front of him with a mixture of awe and fear, not sure of what they should do. Others started to check those around them, helping those that were injured and paying their respects to those that were dead. Slowly, the reinforcements filed in, confused as to what was happening. Officers were barking orders and those that had come in first were reporting what they saw to the others.

Through the bond, she started to feel so many emotions coming from Revan. On the surface, there were darkness, passion, anger and rage. But underneath it she saw a bright unyielding light, trying to shine. Before she could see anything else, Revan’s eyes shot open, and the emotions stopped.

“You don’t think I know that my choices get people killed. The force is a part of all living things. I feel it when anything, let alone anyone, dies around me. I feel their life fade, and only the memory that they were just there is all I have,” Revan seethed, his eyes wide. “They died doing their duty. There is no better way to die for a warrior.”

“You could have saved them. That power, you could have used that and no one would have died,” Kara said, tears slipping down her cheek at the thoughts of those that had died, of Raina.

Revan turned, coming face to face with her. His eyes were full of emotion, yet they still held that determination of steel in them.

“The battlefield is always bigger than it seems. Their leader has not shown himself yet, and so I had to wait until the last moment I could. If I was to use that power, whoever is behind this attack would have sent more bantha fodder.”

“How can you know that for certain?”

“Because it's what I would have done,” Revan said, his voice filled with certainty.

“The battle is over, can’t you see that?”

Revan raised an eyebrow in doubt. “Look at the Amazons, what are they doing?”

Kara glanced over at the Amazons, confused at his question. The Amazons weren’t celebrating or grieving, they were gathering the injured and the dead to take them back through the gates. The reinforcements had marched to the front where the majority of the battle had taken place. They watched the far end of the chamber closely, as if waiting for a new monster to arise.

“Something, or someone, was controlling those things. The undead were...”

“Drawn to us. I saw it when I was fighting in the middle. The largest groups of them were around me and you,” Kara realised, starting to see a more sinister picture than before.

Revan frowned at her, before turning away to look at the cave at the end of the cavern which looked dark and foreboding. Anger sparked inside him then, a hot flash of white through the bond.

_ ‘If you ever lose your head like that again, I’ll drag you kicking and screaming back through those gates myself. Do you understand?’ _

_ ‘I did it to protect…’ _

_ ‘And how many did you heal, get to safety or properly protect?’ _

_ ‘Don’t you dare…’ _

Revan spun quickly and grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes with a fury which burned into her very soul.

_ ‘You went on a quest of revenge instead of protecting the people who you lament me for abandoning. Do not stand there and make me out to be a villain when you were just as responsible. I had a reason to do what I did, not just some petty revenge.” _

Smack!

Kara’s fist was shaking between them, being held by Revan’s hand. Disbelief flooded Kara’s mind as she looked at him.

That shouldn’t be possible. 

“You know Raina isn’t dead yet?” Revan said, looking over to the gates.

“I held her as she died!” Kara stated, still able to feel the gentle weight of her friend in her arms.

“She passed out.”

“There’s no way you can know that.”

“She was a person who was close to you, of course I would keep an eye on her.”

“But… that means…”

“You went after revenge when you could have taken her to a medic. You didn’t check. Now, because of that, her life is hanging by a thread.”

Revan released her fist before looking at Kara with something dangerous glinting in his eyes.

Kara’s fist shook in the air between them, her own eyes which had been ablaze with anger now turned to shock, stared at him. Through the bond, she felt a little flare of pain from Revan and took some comfort in that. 

“She was my friend,” Kara trembled.

“Who you failed. Control yourself next time,” Revan finished.

Kara said nothing. She wanted to. To tell him that he didn’t know her, that he was wrong. It even crossed her mind to try and hit him again.

Instead they stared at each other, the bond showing all they needed to say without saying it.

“Everything alright?” a voice asked behind them.

Neither of them moved.

Eventually, Revan stalked past Kara, coming to confront the new arrival. Kara turned as well, taking in the Amazon. Her armour was a rugged silver, an officer most likely. She was not yet coated or dirty and bloody, and so Kara surmised that she was one of the new arrivals.

“Fine. How long do we have until the next wave?” Revan asked, looking back to the hole on the other side of the cavern.

“We don’t know, there is not usually a lull in the conflict. With every second that passes, the threat approaches, I assure you. Do you have any injuries?”

“No we’re fine,” Revan responded without hesitation. The Amazon looked at Kara for confirmation and Kara nodded stiffly. The Amazon gave her a concerned look, to which Revan said that it had been her first true battle. A look of pity passed over the Amazon’s face, before she told them to follow her back to the main line.

Kara’s legs felt heavy as she trudged over the ground, following the Amazon. Revan dropped to the back, ever watchful and ever vigilant. Through the bond, she could feel his mind whirling and his body primed for action. The Amazons watched them as they passed, though most of the eyes were on Revan. Some looked at him with respect, some looked at him with fear. Yet, the only looks that she received were looks of pity, as if she were just some lost child. Inside her, she felt anger flare up again, sick of being treated as if she was a child.

‘Yet, they were right, weren’t they’, a voice inside her whispered.

When they finally reached the middle of the battlefield where the main group of Amazons were, a hushed silence descended over them. Kara had remained silent, stewing in her thoughts. Why weren’t the Amazons mad at Revan? So many of their sisters and friends would be alive if he had only acted sooner.

She was also starting to feel regret. Sometimes, Revan just aggravated every bone in her body and he knew exactly what buttons to push. Whatever her reasons were, she knew there was no excuse for lashing out at him.

They were led to a small group at the front of the line, made up of five Amazons. The silver armoured Amazon that had escorted them announced their arrival, though she hadn't needed to as all of the Amazons’ eyes were on them already. Two of the Amazons wore gold armour, both without the dirt and blood of combat while only one of the silvers (The one who had escorted them here) were without the dirt. Of the other two, one of them was the Amazon that Kara and Revan had met in the courtyard, while the other must have already been there when Kara had joined the battle. 

“Wow, looks like you have been having some fun Kara Zor-El. Maybe Kryptonians aren’t so formidable after all, though I’m sure Superman would have finished this already,” one of the Amazons said with a dreamy expression, leaning on her spear. 

“I’ve seen many fight their first battle and she has done well, better than I did. Those that are alive now owe their lives to her. She was the one who held the front until you finally arrived,” Revan said angrily, surprising Kara. She didn’t sense a lie over the bond, which confused her even more. Or maybe he had finally found a way to be able to shield a lie from her.

“A bit protective, aren't we?” the Amazon responded, standing a bit more upright, the dreamy expression gone.

“Credit deserves to be given where it is due. Unlike some, she didn’t just turn up as the enemy was crushed and decide to act like a child,” Revan said with an iron tone, his eyes showing no deceit or falsehood.

“She has our thanks, as do you Revan. Whatever that power was, it helped,” the other gold armoured Amazon interrupted before the situation could escalate any further. Kara found herself enjoying the look of fury that was casting an ugly light on the face of the stuck up Amazon.

“Don’t expect much more from me, that was a last resort. There’s not a lot of fuel left to burn,” Revan said with a grimace.

Lie. Definitely a lie.

_ ‘Not a word,’ _Revan warned over the bond.

Kara couldn’t help but look at him sceptically while the Amazons didn’t look too convinced either. Even the one who was still scowling at Revan looked doubtful.

Revan should have just left lying to Deema.

“In any case, we need to plan our defences carefully this time. There will likely be more…” A roar shook the cavern then. Yet it was a familiar one as the doors to the cavern started closing. No matter how many times it screamed and cried, Kara would never get over how awful it sounded. Couldn’t they just install some modern doors like on the Watchtower, ones that didn’t sound like they were being tortured as they were opened and closed.

Trying to ignore the sound, she turned back to the Amazons but noticed that as she did Revan took a few steps towards the other end of the cavern, concentration etched onto his face. He came to a stop and closed his eyes and stood as still as a sculpture.

“Something’s coming,” he said, loud enough for all of them to hear. Kara moved to join to try and see anything.

“Amazons, to your positions!” roared one of the leaders behind her.

“It’s big,” Revan sighed, though through the bond she sensed something close to anticipation building within him. Behind them, the Amazons formed their ranks, a spear wall at the front with archers just behind.

Everyone braced themselves as the whole cavern shook, a screeching adding to the already noisy space. Looking back, Kara saw once more the gate close, knowing that there was no going back now. What they had was what they had to win this with. This screeching was different though. It had multiple voices, spewing forth from the black maw of the cave.

The screeching got louder and louder until it suddenly stopped.

Kara felt herself hold her breath as the air seemed too thick to breathe.

Without warning, one hell hound trotted out the entrance, charging straight for them. She felt a flare of irritation from Revan through the bond. It ran as fast as it could, hell bent on sinking its teeth into its nearest target.

There was confusion in the Amazon ranks as they watched this lone beast charge towards them.

_ ‘Laser vision it,’ _Revan ordered, his eyes still closed.

_ ‘It’s only…’ _

_ ‘Just do it.’ _

Shaking her head in disbelief, she stepped forward a little, before unleashing her heat vision. The beam smacked into the death hound like a truck, instantly disintegrating it.

“Is that it?” asked Kara, bewildered by Revan’s actions and that of the death hound.

Abruptly, a reptilian like head came out of the darkness, followed by another and another and another until there were seven heads with fourteen hungry eyes staring at them.

Kara forgot how to breathe.

Each head was the size of her pod that she had crashed on Earth, easily capable of swallowing multiple people whole. They were covered in a litany of silver scales that glinted in the soft light of the cavern.

“Hera protect us!” an Amazon cried.

“That’s a hydra, a real hydra. I thought they were only in the myths.” 

“Finally,” Revan muttered, drawing Kara’s attention to him. His eyes snapped open and a small smile appeared on his face. Surely he wasn’t serious? Even after what she had just witnessed, there was no way Revan would be able to fight this thing on his own. 

Kara watched in confusion as he slipped off his gauntlet and tied it to his belt. Drawing the knife from its sheath on his arm, Revan pressed the blade to his palm, wincing a little as it dug deep into his skin.

“For blood, honour. For honour, victory,” Revan chanted, wiping his bleeding hand across the breastplate of his armour. 

Kara was horrified at the action, seeing a giant red smear painted across his obsidian chestplate.

Behind her, the Amazons started shouting their war chants and battlecries, banging their spears against the ground and smashing their swords against their shields.

Even Revan, who had put his gauntlet back on, tapped his foot in time with the Amazons, his eyes alive and living in the moment.

Kara just stood still and watched the whole thing unfold, like she was a spectator. Everyone else seemed to know their role, yet she was lost. 

She was alone again.

The chanting and banging stopped.

_ ‘You’ve got three options,’ _ Revan said in her head, coming to stand next to her looking as calm as ever. Yet, Kara could see excitement in his eyes and feel it through the bond.

How was he excited by this?

_ ‘First option is that you go and stand at the back like a coward. No one would blame you, but more Amazons would die as a result.’ _

A terrifying screech, followed by a further six, ripped through the air and assaulted her ears, causing the hairs on her neck to stand upright and they embedded fear within her. She stepped back involuntarily, one foot behind the other.

But she wouldn’t stop fighting now, Kal El wouldn’t do that. Plus, she would never be able to face those that survived if she cowered now. 

She was a Kryptonian.

And she certainly would never do that in front of Revan.

_ ‘No, I will fight,’ _Kara decided, planting her feet into the ground, fighting the fear that was building with her. 

_ ‘Good. Your next option is that you stay with the Amazons and protect them. That way, you would fight only what you felt that you could fight.’ _

Kara looked to the Amazons, all looking determined and ready. This was their duty, their life’s goal. Sure she could help them, but would she really help them or hinder them?

_ ‘The third option?’ _

Revan nodded at the hydra.

_ ‘You aid me in defeating that beast.’ _

He had to be joking. 

_ ‘Surely I would get in your way or make more mistakes like before. I don’t want anyone else to suffer because I wasn’t strong enough.’ _

Revan turned to her, his gaze filled with something she couldn’t place. Through the bond a fire blazed with an intensity that seemed to spread a warmth within Kara.

_ ‘You’re a Kryptonian that I’ve trained. Right now, there is no one else I would rather have at my side.’ _

Kara, looking in his eyes, realised what burned within him. 

Belief.

Belief in her.

Even after all that she had done, Revan still believed in her. She had to believe in herself now. Sometimes the hardest step was the one which seemed the easiest.

_ ‘How do we fight it?’ _Kara said, digging her nails into her hand. She could do this.

The hydra’s heads screamed in unison, and suddenly undead, death hounds and ghouls poured forward.

Revan smiled at her, looking for the first time genuinely pleased.

_ ‘We will meet it halfway and engage it there. You’ll need to make sure you keep the Amazons away from our battle as I’m not going to hold back. I intend this fight to end before sunset.’ _

_‘That’s awfully optimistic,’ _Kara gritted, not understanding why Revan was so confident.

_ ‘Kara, we have an army of Amazons at our backs and two of the most powerful people on this planet fighting the same foe. As odds go, this is one of the most unfair I’ve ever seen.’ _

_ ‘When you put it like that…’ _Kara agreed as she watched the tide of undead approach. This time, there wasn’t fear as she watched them approach, it was anger. 

Anger at what they had done. 

Anger at the lives they had taken.

Anger at them even existing.

Another scream rocked the cavern as the hydra itself limbered out of its den, its giant armoured feet shaking the ground as it moved. All of its heads were focusing on her and Revan, it’s snake-like eyes unblinking.

Anger at the infernal being behind this attack.

_ ‘Good, use that emotion. Let it fuel you, but do not let it control you. Use it as a weapon, with you as its wielder.’ _

As Kara listened to the words, her tired body felt electrified. Her muscles seemed to spring to life once again, ready to endure more punishment. She was thankful to Revan’s gruelling training now, as she really doubted that she would be alive if it wasn’t for him. 

“We’ll take the hydra, you hold the line,” Revan ordered the Amazons around him.

Multiple protesting voices sprung up around them but Revan just looked as unbothered as ever. _ ‘Let’s go,’ _and with that Revan took off sprinting, not fast for Kara, but fast for a human nevertheless.

“Come back here. Don’t you…” the Amazons called to them from behind. Kara and Revan ignored them as they charged to meet their foes.

Suddenly, purple lightning tendrils wrapped around Revan’s arms, before shooting off into the ranks of the undead directly in front of them. They raced from one foe to the other, giving none of them mercy. The tips of the arcs seemed hungry, consuming all they touched. Smoking remains were all that remained as they passed them.

They followed the purple candescent forks of the lightning which cleared a path for them right through the centre of the entire undead tide. The undead either side of them seemed to ignore them and charged onwards behind them, keen to meet the Amazons in battle. The undead in front of them were wiped out again and again until eventually the lightning reached the hydra. 

Revan stopped in front of her, causing Kara to stop. Between them and the hydra lay a dark path of smoking undead remains. The lightning engulfed the giant creature, it’s heads writhing and roaring in pain. Yet, if anything, it seemed to make the creature angrier. Kara noted that the lightning seemed to be flowing towards the back of the monster. Revan cocked his head with a puzzled look.

Kara realised too late, as the hydra swung its mass around, its tail up in the air, and brought it down with a sickening crack. It had been sending the electrical charge to its tail!

A super charged ball of electricity was sent hurtling towards her and Revan. Without hesitation, Kara took off and met the energy ball halfway, slamming herself into it with all her might. 

_ ‘Kara!’ _she heard Revan shout through the bond.

For a second, nothing seemed to happen as she came into contact with the energy. 

Then it began. First her hands, then her arms and finally her entire body. The pain was excruciating as she was flung back through the air. Kara prepared herself for hitting the floor, though it never came. 

The surrounding air seemed to mould around her, bringing her to a stop above the battlefield. Her outfit had burn marks all over it but other than that it was fine. What she did feel was that her muscles were like jelly, not fully under her control.

_ ‘Are you trying to kill yourself?’ _Revan growled over the bond.

Kara turned in the air to look at him. His right hand was outstretched and clasped like he was holding an object, pointing towards her. It dawned on her that Revan must have used the force to catch her in the air.

_ ‘I stopped it, didn’t I?’ _Kara countered, coming back over to hover above him, though her eyes were fixated on the monster in front of her. Her muscles hurt like hell, but the closer she got to Revan, the more the pain eased. She wondered if he was healing her consciously or if it was another of their bond’s mysteries.

Revan just huffed below her.

_ ‘Try your heat vision,’ _Revan ordered.

Kara unleashed her heat vision to little effect. The scales reflected the laser beam, sending it careening into the walls of the cavern. The beast shrieked again, though to Kara it sounded as if the monster was laughing at them. Her hands tightened into fists as the shriek reverberated around the area, each head seemingly enjoying itself. Kara was going to make sure that beast wouldn’t be laughing when she was finished with it. 

_ ‘Kara, control yourself. Look at the hydra, are there any weaknesses you can see? Kara, What are you…’ _

Kara charged in, delivering a hammering blow to the highest head, sending it flying back. The other heads reacted quickly, quicker than Kara felt a monster that size should be capable of. She managed to dodge the first two giant maws that tried and failed to snap her up. Yet, the third head didn’t try to bite her, instead it headbutted her downwards into the ground, causing a sharp ejection of breath from Kara as her body smashed against the hard surface.

Looking up, five pairs of beady eyes regarded her with hunger while two others kept focus on something else. A couple of the heads opened their mouths showing their surprising lack of teeth. Yet the ones they did have were long and hooked, dripping with a green saliva. 

Kara couldn’t move under their gaze, her body trembling and struggling to regain her strength. 

It didn’t matter, they couldn’t hurt her anyway she was a Kryptonian.

Yet, she felt a dampness on her left arm, and fighting to look, she saw red staining the left side of her arm. 

It dawned on her then.

The head, it had got her.

And that green saliva was poison, one that immobilized its target.

_ ‘Kara, I need you to punch the middle head with everything you have, you’ll see when,’ _Revan’s voice came through to her then.

_ ‘I can't... I can't move,’ _Kara tried, fighting with everything she had.

_ ‘Yes you can. You’re a Kryptonian.’ _

Suddenly, a crack ripped through the scales of the head above, causing the head to roar in pain. With everything she had left, she launched herself at the cracked scales at the top of the head’s neck.

For a terrifying moment, the scales did not give way. A second later, she felt the scales collapse as she flew through the beast's neck, crashing out the other side. As she rolled through the air uncontrollably, a repulsive ripping noise ripped through the air.

She felt the touch of Revan’s telekinesis as he caught her and righted her again, bringing her over to where he was standing. 

_ ‘If you do that again, I’m dragging you over to the gate and throwing you through it. I can’t fight alongside someone who doesn’t listen nor knows what they are doing. No more chances. Do you understand?’ _ Kara dropped onto the ground next to him, struggling to support herself due to the poison, but she nodded. 

_ ‘I thought…’ _

_ ‘It doesn't matter what you thought. You can’t fight the hydra on your own, so stop trying,’ _ Revan said, while the hand that had been supporting her with the force returned to his side. His other hand however, was still outstretched in front of him. Following it, Kara could not believe her eyes. 

So that's what that ripping sound had been. It made sense to Kara now.

Hovering in between them and the hydra was one of the hydra’s heads, it was in pristine condition, though at the neck a torrent of blood poured from it like a nightmarish waterfall. Revan, with both hands, pulled the head apart which fell to the ground. 

All of the remaining heads of the hydra were hunched around its gaping wound. It looked stunned, as it’s eyes glared at Revan with a mix of anger and fury. And in return, Revan returned the stare, not blinking or backing down. 

Suddenly, the neck that had been decapitated started to bubble and twitch, blood spurting onto the ground in front of it like a fountain. Then the blood hardened around the outside of the neck and created a solid structure. It rose upwards and upwards before closing off to form a cone. The tip of it started to expand, creating a bulbous head with familiar reptilian eyes and a couple of long pointed fangs. Bright silver scales sprouted out of its new skin and hardened on the surface.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kara heard herself say.

“Regeneration,” Revan muttered before raking his hands through his black hair in thought. 

_ ‘How do we fight that?’ _Kara asked wide eyed. 

_ ‘Beings with regeneration are usually weak to fire or intense heat,’ _ Revan said as he recalled something.

Kara stood, before a sudden thought struck her.

_ ‘That makes sense, if the wound is cauterised straight away, then the tissue can not begin the regenerative process making it susceptible to further attacks. The question is how do we get an opening?’ _

Revan had got that look in his eye again, the one which Kara knew was bad for whoever was his opponent. Turning to her, a white light glowed in his palm before it shot out and covered Kara in its light. _ ‘That will heal your body and remove the poison from your system though it will take time. Stay here, I'll let you know when to rejoin the fight,’ _Revan instructed before walking towards the hydra, a burning determination etched onto his face.

The sounds of battle continued on from behind her, with shouts and screams of pain. Craning her head to look, she saw that the Amazon line was holding well. The undead tide had reduced with only a few trickling in from the dark cave at the far end of the cavern. It seemed strange to Kara that the undead avoided attacking her and Revan. But if this was the creature behind the attacks, then it may be controlling them in some way.

It frustrated her that she couldn’t do more to help Revan or the Amazons. She could feel her body regaining its strength with every passing second, yet it was not healing fast enough. 

A repulsive tearing followed by monstrous hails of pain ripped through the air, drawing her attention back to what was in front of her. One of the hydra’s heads was on the floor, it’s lifeless eyes staring into death while blood pooled around it. Beyond that, a flame erupted, engulfing the bleeding neck. 

Revan then jumped out from the flames landing gracefully in front of the beast. The neck without its head spewed no blood, instead no blood ran from it at all. Kara looked to see the skin blackened and scorched. The stench of burnt skin invaded her nostrils, making her feel nauseous.

The beast looked at its stump of a neck with a couple of its heads, confusion paramount in its gazes. All of the monster's eyes were on Revan, standing in front of it with a satisfied look on his face. The hydra roared in anger, before launching itself at Revan.

Revan waved his hand across his torso which caused his body to be encased by a dark light, though he didn’t do anything else as the hydra bore down upon him. Just as the first hydra head lunged for him, he launched himself upwards, far higher than a normal human could jump. As he rose, he pointed his hand at the exposed neck of the hydra, and closed his hand into a fist. Kara watched as the scales in a small area on the neck cracked. Kara realised that was how he must have created the weakness to be able to tear the first head off. 

Unfortunately, before Revan could do anything further, one of the heads placed itself to cover the position that he had ruptured. The creature could obviously learn, or maybe it became smarter as it lost its heads thought Kara, watching the duel in front of her.

A head snapped at Revan as he fell, but he moved faster than Kara had ever seen, slipping between the open jaws of the beast, and slid down its neck. As he went, he cracked the scales in multiple locations drawing the other heads to cover the weak spots. 

When he reached the bottom of the neck, he leapt off to the right and landed with a roll. Immediately, he stood and extended both arms out in front of him.

Kara expected an impressive attack or at least some lightning, yet no attack came. Revan was frozen as the hydra turned to face him, one of its necks covered with the other five heads to protect the weaknesses he had implanted on it.

_ ‘Revan…’ _Kara warned as the hydra reared up above him, though something caught her eye. In the air just in front of Revan, it seemed to ripple with energy.

How would he…

He hadn’t raptured the scales on… 

It dawned on Kara then as the hydra’s head lunged at Revan.

Just as she thought, Revan released a shock wave which slammed into the hydra’s exposed neck. While it did little damage to the underneath of the neck, the force of the wave ruptured the weakened scales on the top of the neck, sending bone and blood high into the air.

The hydra roared in pain, though it had no chance to rest as Revan used the force to pull that head from its neck. The heads all screamed in unison as they all snapped at Revan, though he jumped back at the last second.

Kara looked at the bleeding neck of the beast and wondered how Revan would cauterise it. Where Revan had exposed multiple weaknesses on the neck, it meant that when he had ripped the head off, the neck had split half. This had created an extremely large area to cauterise.

Kara’s body was nearly back to normal, the poison in its last vestiges in her body. She could try and use her heat vision from here, but there was no way she would be able to target the entire neck.

She was about to ask what Revan was going to do, when lightning coiled around him before he planted his hands to the ground. Lightning travelled down into the ground and disappeared. Yet, Revan kept his hands planted there, and more electricity flowed downwards. The hydra put all of its remaining heads between its bleeding neck and Revan, waiting to see what he was going to do. 

All of a sudden, Kara noticed lightning shooting out of the ground underneath the hydra and it connected with the now nearly repaired neck. The purple lightning shocked and burnt the exposed flesh, once again flooding the air with the stench of burnt skin.

Kara was really getting sick of that stench.

Some of the heads tried to stop the lightning from coming out of the ground, but with minute movements of his hands, Revan changed the arcs and trajectories of the lightning. This also allowed him to stop the lightning from being able to be absorbed by the scales, as soon as a bolt hit the scales, it would quickly be shifted back to the exposed neck.

After ten seconds of this, Revan stopped his assault and Kara looked at the skin. It was completely cauterised. There was no mistaking the anger and hate that burnt with abandon in the hydra’s gazes. 

Two heads down.

Five heads still to go.

Slowly, she stood, her muscles nowhere near as bad as they had been. The bleeding on her arm had completely stopped, leaving only the damp torn suit and unblemished skin as a reminder of what had happened. 

_ ‘I’m ready to fight,’ _Kara said over the bond.

_ ‘Good, wait for an opening.’ _

So this time, instead of charging in, she waited and watched. She had been an idiot to think she could take this beast down on her own. 

She had to be smarter, be better.

Like Kal El… Like Revan.

While she was itching to get back into the fight, she knew that both of them would wait until they either saw an opportunity or to save someone. Well, Kal would save someone anyway.

As she waited, Kara saw Revan was now on the defensive against the beast, its attacks faster and better timed than before. The attacks were one after the other, not allowing him time to counter or find an opening. The beast hadn’t fought like this before, which suggested to Kara that it did indeed become smarter with every head lost. She informed Revan, who agreed with her, saying he had noticed it himself.

Kara saw her chance when one of the hydra’s heads reared up and watched Revan with an analytical gaze. The other heads were still busy trying to rip Revan to ribbons, and so didn’t pay Kara any attention.

With a step back to prepare herself she charged through the air at the beast.

_ ‘Revan, create a weak point on the standing neck,’ _she shouted through the bond while she rocketed through the air.

She drew closer and closer to the unsuspecting head yet nothing happened to the scales. 

_ ‘Revan,’ _Kara urged worriedly.

What happens if Revan couldn’t weaken it, or if he was too preoccupied to help?

At the last moment before she connected, the scales cracked, weakening them enough for Kara to break the surface. The hydra’s head wailed in pain, but was too slow to react. This time, Kara didn’t fly through. Instead, she charged her heat vision to the strongest she could and unleashed it into the hole she had created in its scaly skin.

The first thing that happened was that the laser exploded out of the other side of the hole causing an awful gurgling sound to erupt from the suffering beast's mouth.

Yet, Kara did not stop.

She moved the laser up and then down, completely severing the head which landed with a wet thud, gurgling sounds still emanating from its open maw. Furthermore, her heat vision had cauterised the neck, allowing no regrowth from the hydra. 

Satisfaction flooded Kara as she looked down upon the severed beast’s head. She had done that. This had happened because of her. 

However, she had no rest as two of the heads that had been attacking Revan whipped round and lunged at her, teeth bared. Kara dodged back and flew higher into the sky out of their reach.

Now two heads were watching her while the others, which had momentarily stopped trying to eat Revan, watched him closely. None of their mouths opened, the occasional flicker of their forked tongues was the only movement. The other three necks with their heads missing lay twitching along the ground and beyond that, the tail was low and rigid at the back.

Revan himself didn’t look too good, Kara noted. There were bite marks across his armour and a gash on the right side of his torso which was bleeding. His body was dripping with exertion, sweat pouring off his head which was framed by damp hair either side. Still, his eyes burned with determination as he readied himself again.

_ ‘One more head, and victory will be assured,’ _Revan said confidently through the bond. Kara nodded in understanding as that would leave one of them to deal with one head.

The battlefield seemed to settle into a stalemate then, the hydra waiting for Revan and Kara to act.

_‘What’s the plan?’ _asked Kara, trying to formulate her own. The problem she kept coming across was that she didn’t know what powers Revan had or how much more he had to give.

After a few moments, Revan replied.

_ ‘Use your freeze breath on the ones watching you and then try and bait them into biting you,’ _Revan instructed, standing still. 

Kara was tempted to ask what he was going to do but decided to see what he had planned. If this fight had taught her anything, it was that Revan never did anything without a reason. She inhaled a giant breath before she descended upon the hydra. When she was within range, she unleashed a giant cloud of freezing wind, covering the two hydra heads in ice. They struggled for moments, trying to break free of their icy prisons. Cracks soon appeared, and as they did, Kara edged closer and closer, taunting them with her mere presence. 

The sound of the ice shattering like a crystal chandelier filled the air and both the heads lunged at her. Kara dodged between the two, using one as cover from the other. She wondered what Revan was doing when she looked beneath her to see the ice shards that had fallen from the hydra’s neck floating just off the ground. The other two heads kept their focus on Revan, unsure of what he was doing.

Just as Kara rose into the air again to attack one of the necks, the other head tried to ambush her, but as it opened its mouth, it seemed to freeze. Kara had no time to attack it as the other lunged down from above her. As she shot into the clear air above the hydra she turned to see hundreds of icy shards fly into the open maw of the beast. Not long after, ice exploded out of the underneath of the neck and wove it’s way through the neck like a swarm of insects. It flew into the exposed flesh and tore a new hole in a different spot on the neck, again and again.

_ ‘You're going to have to tear it off,’ _Revan said over the bond as the beast rushed him, his ice shards doing one last push into the monster never to appear again. Though he only had two heads to deal with, it was clear to Kara that he was running out of steam. The injured head was spasming with blood already starting to repair the damage that Revan had done. Without hesitation, Kara charged past the head with such speed that it barely had time to react before she was past it. As she reached the injured head, she grabbed one of the gaping wounds and pulled with all her might.

The beast struggled as it felt the pressure on its neck, but this only aided Kara. With the beast pulling itself one way and Kara the other, the neck soon gave way, filling the air with a sickening ripping sound of flesh. She carried the head a little before chucking off to the side, the head impacted the ground with a grotesque sound like a giant egg cracking. The tell tale cackle of electricity filled the air behind her.

Kara turned to face the hydra, her cape hung loosely over her shoulders. Below her, Revan stopped shooting his force lightning at the exposed flesh, his chest heaving. 

Three to go.

One of the heads that had been attacking Revan, rose up to deal with Kara, confident in Revan’s soon to be demise. The action brought a smile to her face, though she quickly lost it as she wondered if Revan had enough force power left to deal with it.

_ ‘Revan, if you’ve not got…’ _

_ ‘Don’t worry about me, you concentrate on your adversaries.’ _

Kara rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. It did cross her mind that she could just pick him up and take him to the gate. With the state he was in now, she doubted he would make it back anytime soon. However, the quickest way that this would be decided would be for them to work together to take down this beast.

_ ‘Keep the other two distracted,’ _Revan said before he stuck his arm out and froze the head he was facing in place. Kara, with not really much choice left, charged the other two heads, punching them and ripping scales from them when she could. She occasionally glanced at what Revan was doing, yet all he appeared to be doing was creating a ball of energy in front of him. Even then, the air held no power or ripple to it between his hands. Whatever he was doing though was taxing him. A torrent of sweat cascaded down his forehead and his legs began to shake from exertion.

After what felt like an eternity, Kara noticed the neck of the frozen hydra expanding like a balloon. It expanded bigger and bigger until the abnormality burst, sending blood and body tissue everywhere. The destroyed neck slumped to the ground, yet the head stayed frozen in the air for a moment, before hitting the ground.

_ ‘The neck,’ _was all Revan said as he fell to one knee, failing to stay upright.

Kara swooped down from where she was engaging the other heads and as she passed the bleeding wound, unleashed her heat vision completely sealing the gaping wound. She even managed to disintegrate some of the neck completely. Nevertheless, as she flew back to hover beside Revan, she felt a tiredness overcome her. Whether this was actually her body’s or Revan’s she did not know.

_ ‘Revan you need…’ _

_ ‘Draw one of the heads away, I'll…’ _

_ ‘Revan! You are going to die if you keep this up.’ _

A moment passed as Revan forced himself upright and a predatory grin took form on his face, “Kara, you have so much to learn.”

Revan threw out his right arm towards the beast, yet to Kara this felt different to previously. Through the bond she could feel that this particular power coming from him was wrong. Everything inside her told her that the power was a disease, as if it had its own voracious hunger. 

It was evil, pure evil.

It was darkness.

Out of his hand shot a sickly yellow arc of lightning. It impacted one of the heads, and at first nothing happened.

First the scales fell off, then the skin died, falling off as if it was dust. Then the muscle and tissue were consumed by the yellow lightning. Unlike the other lightning that Revan had cast, this one was a circuit, flowing out of him to the beast and back again. Slowly, the life was drained from the head reducing it to a husk.

Kara sprung forward to engage the other head, but as the light spread further down the afflicted neck, the unaffected hydra head turned and bit into its own neck, struggling to rip off its own limb as the light travelled slowly towards it. Eventually, it managed to get purchase and with a mighty screech, the head came flying off, narrowly missing both Revan and Kara.

_ ‘What was that?’ _Kara asked, more afraid of the answer than the beast in front of her.

_ ‘I’ll explain... Kara!’ _Revan shouted at her, his skin confusingly looking a lot healthier than it had a few seconds before. She heard the movement too late and was smacked by something, sending her flying off to the side. Faintly, she heard Revan call her name again but she couldn’t muster a reply. 

The landing ejected any air that she had as she crashed into the ground, rolling over a couple of times. She wasn’t sure how much timed past as she laid there. The sounds of battle, though not as prominent as before, still filled the air. Painfully, she moved her right arm to feel where the beast had hit her. It hurt to touch, the sensation of her own touch sending painful shocks on her right side.

She felt like just laying there, keeping her eyes closed until all of this was just a distant nightmare. 

To be with her family again.

But she couldn’t. 

Because they were dead.

And soon Revan would be if she didn’t help him.

That would mean failing the Queen,

Her words still echoed within her.

And failing Revan.

She would not allow that.

Through the bond, she could feel his struggle, his battle with the hydra and within himself.

Far away she heard the roar of flames.

She would not let him fight these battles on his own. 

Even now, she felt his belief in her over the bond.

He still believed in her.

Why?

Even after how useless she had been.

She would be better.

She would justify his belief in her.

Agonisingly, she forced herself up, every muscle and joint in her body crying out in protest. If Revan and the hydra’s position was any indication as to from where she had been hit, then she had been flung a long way.

It was only then that she saw the position that Revan had found himself in.

Revan was back down on one knee, his hands raised above him using the force to keep all seven heads… wait they weren’t heads Kara realized. The necks of the ones that they had beheaded had become additional limbs of the hydra. They were trying to crush Revan. The head meanwhile hid behind its tentacle like limbs, waiting for an opening to strike.

Every second that passed, the limbs inched closer and closer to Revan, his barrier getting weaker and weaker. Revan’s barrier would fail soon, that was clear to her. She saw him try to generate lightning and fail, as it travelled around his body.

Kara knew that the timing of what she did was everything.

If she got there too early, the hydra would notice her approach and deal with her.

If she got there too late, then Revan would be swallowed whole by that horrific beast.

Timing was everything. Luckily, she had something that the hydra did not. 

The bond.

All around her the cavern started to shake.

She felt the tell tale flicker, the same as that day when he battled Artemis before he collapsed before Kara.

That was her signal and so she rushed through the air, planning on picking up Revan and taking him to a safe distance.

Yet the hydra’s head was faster. It smashed through the last of Revan’s barrier.

It could have easily snapped him up. Instead it just hovered over him, its jaws open waiting.

Waiting for her. 

But Kara didn’t change her course, rather she sprung the trap as soon as she arrived over the kneeling form of Revan. As she did, the jaws snapped shut. 

Kara had never felt such intense strength in her life. Her left arm held the roof of the beast's mouth while the right arm held the base. In front and behind her, the hydra’s giant fangs twitched as they tried to find their target. Her body screamed and maybe she did too, Kara didn’t know.

But she would not let this beast kill anyone she cared for.

She would hold on for all time, if she had to.

“What are you doing?” Revan asked from behind her, his voice hollow and unsure.

There was no noise in the beasts jaws, just the breathing of Revan and the beast.

Through the bond, Kara could feel a swell of emotions cascading through Revan. The most prominent were of bewilderment and shock.

“What do you mean? ‘What are you doing?’ What does it look like?” Kara shouted over her shoulder, confused at his question.

Every second, the pressure seemed to increase tenfold on her arms.

“Why didn’t you let me die?” Revan asked in an angry tone.

She would not give into this beast.

“What?” Kara said, outraged and puzzled at the same time. One of the fangs drew perilously close to her arm, narrowly missing it.

“I exterminated your people, destroyed your home. Why would you save me?”

“Are you serious? This is not the time!” Kara shouted, feeling her arms slowly giving in.

That seemed to snap Revan out of whatever moment he was having. He carefully stood up behind her, though there was little room, which resulted in Revan being a bit closer than Kara was used to. It reassured her that over the bond he was feeling the same thing.

Kara felt him place a hand on her shoulder, before he shot lightning into the maw of the beast. The lightning danced around the mouth of the hydra before disappearing down its gullet. 

Some of the lightning travelled around the mouth and headed to where Kara was touching the beast. Yet, when it reached her, it passed harmlessly through her and back into Revan’s hand. 

The creature wretched and it’s throat contorted, finally releasing its hold of Kara. As it reared back up into the sky, Revan kept up his barrage of lightning, letting go of Kara and moving in front of her as to be unimpeded. Kara watched as the lightning travelled up down the hydra's body, trapped inside with no exit.

The hydra tried one last desperate lunge, though it only reached halfway in it’s attack.

Kara suddenly heard a giant whoosh from behind and watched as a giant spear shrouded in blue lightning smashed into the beast's head and punched straight through. She watched as Revan created a weakness in the beast's chest before he hurriedly turned around and caught her by surprise, tackling her to the ground and covering her body with his.

A number of strange sensations passed over her body in a matter of seconds before a deafening clap blasted everything around them.

After that, Kara could not hear anything apart from a high ringing. Her vision was also impaired by the rugged black shoulder plate of Revan. 

Strangely he didn’t feel that heavy to her, though she realised it must be due to her Kryptonian strength. She could tell from her proximity to him that he was still breathing, with the feel of his chest as it expanded and shrank on top of hers. Her body felt different as well, as if it was in a bubble.

_ ‘Revan?’ _Kara asked over the bond, not sure what else to say.

Steadily, Revan lifted himself off her, before his face hovered over hers.

_ ‘I’m a Kryptonian. You didn’t need to tackle me. I would have been fine.’ _

_ ‘That weapon was no ordinary weapon,’ _ Revan said as he showed the bottom of his robe which had been completely burned off. _ ‘Are you hurt?’ _he asked, his voice mixing with the ringing in her ears. Kara didn’t miss the look of concern on his face, as he checked her over.

_ ‘I can't hear anything,’ _Kara moaned, wincing in pain as she pointed to her ears to emphasise the point. 

_ ‘That will pass. I don’t sense anything around us,’ _he said with a satisfied look on his face. 

Carefully, he moved off of her, coming to sit beside her. The space that he had been occupying showed the maroon sky, far above them. It had been an extremely long day Kara thought as she laid there. Uncomfortably, she pulled herself up to sit beside him. An excruciating pain shot down her right side, but before she could fall back, a hand gently stopped her. It felt warm on her body, before a familiar sensation spread from it. 

She gave Revan a grateful look, though he was watching the hydra’s smoking corpse that lay before them with a thoughtful look. His words in the beast's maw suddenly come back to her. Sitting straighter, even though it hurt, she tapped him on his chest piece to get his attention.

He turned to her, his dark eyes looking at her with a mix of emotions stirring within them.

_ ‘You said to me one of the most important lessons on a battlefield is to trust those around you, yet you don’t. Despite what you think, I’m not going to kill you Revan. I trust you Revan, and I want you to trust me.’ _

_ ‘It will only lead you to sorrow,’ _Revan replied, his voice quiet.

Kara snorted at that, causing a shot of pain to burn down through her right side, though fortunately, it was not as bad as it had been before due to Revan’s healing. He gave her a puzzled look. 

_ ‘My life hasn’t exactly been happiness and joy so far, so I’m sure I’ll cope. I’m a Kryptonian after all.’ _

Even Revan cracked a smile at that. _ ‘That you are.’ _

_ ‘Just swear to me that you’ll at least try _ _ to trust me.’ _

Revan rubbed his face with a hand, leaving a smudge of dirt on his forehead.

Kara glared at him, willing him to accept. They had been through so much, surely this wasn’t too much to ask from him.

Hesitantly, he nodded though his demeanor changed suddenly, and through the bond something seemed to weigh him down. Fingers restlessly flexed as he took a deep breath before saying over the bond,

_ ‘Look, I need to tell…’ _

A loud horn sounded in the distance, though it sounded a million miles away to Kara, she twisted to see what was going on. Revan stopped and followed her gaze to look back to where the main battle was taking place. Kara observed where the main battle had been, and to her joy, the only beings standing were the Amazons. She even spotted a rather smug Artemis making her way over to them.

_ ‘What is it?’ _ Revan asked, not being able to see that far.

_ ‘We won,’ _ Kara answered, not quite believing it herself.

Kara looked up to see Revan nod as it seemed to confirm his thoughts, before he turned his gaze to the hole at the end of the chamber, a wary look on his face. Slowly, he stood up from beside her, checking his armour and body for any injuries. His armour was even more battered than before, though it didn’t look like any of the main pieces had been broken. The four blades that he carried looked useless in their current state, though Revan appeared unconcerned. Contented, he looked down to her, before offering his hand in aid. 

Her body feeling better, she took his hand and she soon stood beside him. 

Yet he didn’t look back towards the Amazons, and neither did she.

Something eerily arrested their attention as they looked forward, towards the deep, dark cave that made all of her senses scream danger.

But she could feel what he could feel. 

The darkness that they had both sensed weeks ago…

Was calling to them now.

The darkness was beckoning them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is it for arc one of this story. Safe to say it is a lot longer than I ever intended but oh well. I'm on the last chapter of the next arc now so as soon as that is done I'll begin to upload that. Keep safe and thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> This my first fanfic and I hope you enjoyed it.


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